Timor Air to fly internationally
Posted
An agreement has been signed to create East Timor's first international airline.
Timor Air plans to start daily flights linking Darwin, Dili and Denpasar in February.
Under the agreement, Brisbane-based airline SkyAirWorld will operate a 94-seat plane on the route and will also train East Timorese cabin crew.
SkyAirWorld's David Charlton says demand for the route is reliable, despite the global financial crisis, and the company also hopes to generate tourism from Australia to East Timor.
"The traffic to and from at the moment is very much business, government and aid agency-driven, and certainly regardless of the global financial situation, that style of market is not going to go away," he said.
"What it offers us though, is an opportunity to stimulate travel and stimulate tourism and stimulate business links."
The company also plans to start a Darwin-Cloncurry-Brisbane service twice a week in February.
"We see Darwin as a fantastic place for growth and there's been significant demand, notwithstanding the financial challenges globally at the moment," Mr Charlton said.
"With the oil and gas projects in and around East Timor and Darwin, there's plenty of opportunity and we'll be certainly utilising the opportunity to work with Timor Air as a chance to set up a base in Darwin."
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