| Subject: AFP: East
Timor's main airport to re-open for commercial flights
Agence France Presse
December 31, 1999, Friday
East Timor's main airport to re-open for
commercial flights
DILI, East Timor, Dec 31
An Indonesian aircraft is expected to be
among the first to land in the East Timorese capital of Dili next Monday
when commercial aviation service is able to resume, the UN mission said
Friday.
"The Dili airport can be re-opened
next Monday for civil air traffic," Sergio Vieira de Mello, who heads
the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), told
journalists.
De Mello said he understood but could not
yet confirm the Indonesian airline, Merpati, will conduct a "test
flight" into Dili's Komoro airport on Monday.
"I welcome this development,"
said de Mello, who plans to meet the aircraft.
He said Merpati is "very interested
in resuming flights to Dili."
Until it ceased its service from the
Indonesian cities of Jakarta, Denpasar and Kupang in August, Merpati ran
the only regular commercial airline flights to East Timor.
The airline stopped landing in East Timor
as violence increased around the August 30 ballot in which East Timorese
voted for independence from Indonesia, which invaded the territory in
1975.
Dili's airport became a busy military
landing field with round-the-clock arrivals of troops and supplies once
international peacekeepers began their deployment on September 20.
The airport still serves as a base for
air operations of the International Force East Timor (Interfet) but it
also hosts flights by the United Nations and aid organizations.
De Mello said an airline associated with
the Australian carrier, Qantas, has also expressed interest in operating a
service to Dili.
He said UNTAET's immigration service will
be established by Monday to check the passports of arriving passengers.
"However, customs may have to wait a
bit longer," he said.
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