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Indonesian military to help transport Idul Fitri travelers

NU Online  ·  Sabtu, 20 September 2008 | 05:26 WIB

Jakarta, NU online
The National Defense Forces (TNI) is to make some of its aircraft and ships available for the transportation of people returning to their home-towns or villages for the Idul Fitri (Muslim post-fasting month) festivities later this month, a spokesmen said.

The Air Force was preparing six Hercules C-130s, two CN-235s and one Fokker-27 to transport military personnel, their families and members of the general public to their Idul Fitri destinations, said Commodore Chaerudin Ray, chief public relations officer at the Indonesian Air Force`s Headquarters, here Saturday.<>

"We are preparing everything , including routine checks of the planes that will be used," he was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying.

The planes would make the Idul Fitri flights to destinations in west and east Indonesia in the period Sept 24 - Oct 5, 2008, Ray said.

Meanwhile, to anticipate a boom in passengers who chose sea transportation during this year`s homecoming season, the Navy was preparing 10 od its vessels based in Jakarta and Surabaya for public transportation missions.

The Navy`s chief public relations officer, Commodore Iskandar Sitompul, said the ships to be used in the missions would be landing ship tanks (LSTs) and personnel carriers with a capacity to carry 500 people each. (dar)