Three local airlines including PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Merpati), PT Nusantara Buana Air (NBA), and PT Asi Pudjiastuti Aviation (Susi Air) won the government’s tender to serve nearly 35 new routes this year.

Merpati secured 10 routes in Sabu, East Nusa Tenggara; Merauke, Papua; and Nabire, Papua with a Rp 32.08 billion (US$3.52 million) subsidy from the ministry.

Among the routes the airline will fly are Sabu-Ende, Sabu-Waingapu, Merauke-Okaba, Merauke-Kimaam, Merauke-Mindaptanah, and Nabire-Timika.

In addition, NBA has secured more than 12 routes in Takengon, Aceh; Gunung Sitoli, North Sumatra; and Bengkulu with a Rp 34.7 billion ($3.81 million) subsidy. Meanwhile, Susi Air has secured more than 13 routes in Aceh; Ketapang, West Kalimantan; and Samarinda, East Kalimantan with Rp 16.64 billion ($1.83 million) in support from the ministry.

“They are ...