New Shuttle Flights launched between Dili and Atauro Island – MAF in Timor-Leste
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ: ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ-๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ.
Praise God for the opportunity to be involved in this initiative to help the local people of the area and to encourage new local business opportunities for one of Timor-Lesteโs most poorly developed areas. Please pray that the shuttle flights will be a blessing to all who use them, to improve accessibility of transportation for the local people as well as to develop the tourism industry in the region, aiding the local economy.
These shuttle flights are part of our main mission, connecting the isolated people in Timor-Leste and bringing help, hope and healing through aviation and for that we praise God.
In March 2022, MAF Timor-Leste, USAID, and the Authority of Civil Aviation Timor-Leste (AACTL) flew from Dili to Atauro Island as part of โUSAIDโs Tourism for All Projectโ to open a temporary tourist information Centre and sign the Memorandum of Understanding โMoUโ between MAF and ATKOMA for a regular air service to the Island.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has teamed up with Atauro Tourism Association (ATKOMA) to provide the special shuttle service for tourist visitors, NGO workers and local Atauro residents. A MAF aircraft flight from the mainland to the island takes less than 20 minutes, compared to one to two hours for speed boats and ferries.
โAtauro is a remote island in Timor-Leste with a variety of potential tourist sectors that will draw more visitors. What caused it to become isolated? It is due to a lack of adequate transportation access to assist passengers. Timor-Leste has been regaining its independence for nearly two decades, and Atauro is still struggling in transportation issues to bring people or tourists from the mainland, since then.โ Lucio Boromeu Araujo, The Interim Atauroโs Administrator, says.
The event was attended by local authorities, MAF, USAID, AACTL representatives, the ATKOMA team, and were welcomed by the local dance group called โNama-Namaโ. Itโs derived from Makili, Atauroโs dialect, which in English means โSlowly-Slowlyโ.
