Everywhere there were warnings against chewing areca nuts. Baggage inspection officers with x-ray machines were also very careful to check whether there were passengers who brought areca nuts on board.
By
Agustinus Wibowo
·4 minutes read
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Air Niugini plane ready to fly to Daru, Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
I would not be able to understand the mystery of the straight line of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border if I only lived in Port Moresby. I had to travel to the west, embarking on an adventure to explore the real boundary.
My first stop was Daru, the small island capital of Western Province, the westernmost province of Papua New Guinea (PNG), which is directly adjacent to Indonesian Papua. My flight PX800 would leave at 12:05 p.m. However, the Indonesian Embassy staff suggested that I arrive at the airport no later than 9:30 a.m.
"Don\'t think that if you have a ticket, you can fly," he said.
***
I arrived very early to the airport, being second in line at the Air Niugini counter at the non-air conditioned Jacksons Airport. The check-in process went smoothly, so I had plenty of time to leisurely wander around the airport.
Everywhere there were warnings against chewing areca nuts. Baggage inspection officers with x-ray machines were also very careful to check whether there were passengers who brought areca nuts on board. The security officers were locals wearing the uniforms of G4S, a private security company based in the United Kingdom.
Sitting relaxed in the waiting room, suddenly I heard someone calling my name. The megaphone called my name for the second time, asking me to get on the plane immediately. I looked at the clock, it was still an hour away from my flight schedule. My name was called the third time.
I was the last passenger to board the plane.
I ran on the tarmac, through the fenced corridor with a roof. The Canadian-made Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft was waiting. I was the last passenger to board the plane.
“Hurry!” said the female flight attendant at the aircraft door. "We\'re flying right away."
"But it\'s not time yet," I said.
"All passengers are ready, we are flying early!" she said.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Inside the cabin of an Air Niugini plane bound for Daru.
I have frequently experienced delayed flights. This was the first time for me to have an early flight.
***
The flight to Daru took one hour 15 minutes. For a distance of only 442 kilometers, the ticket cost US$180. This was relatively cheap. In a country that is only half of the island of Papua, domestic flight tickets can reach $1,000.
After passing through the Gulf of Papua, the plane crossed from the mainland across a small strait to land on an island that looked so dark.
Daru
The airport looked more like a soccer field in the middle of a village, surrounded by a wire fence. Outside the fence, people lined the streets, clinging to the fence, to watch our plane land.
Were they dreaming of leaving? Or celebrate our arrival? I had no idea. By the time the plane landed and we got off, the crowd behind the fence had decreased considerably. The attraction was over, they dispersed.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Residents are enthusiastic to see planes at Daru Airport.
The rain was getting heavier, the passengers ran across the field to the airport terminal, which resembled a small yellow house with two large rainwater storage tanks. Our baggage was carried one by one by airport workers, from the fuselage onto wooden benches. Then, it was up to us the passengers to collect their own belongings.
***
Two weeks after my arrival, I returned to this airport to accompany a friend who was going to Port Moresby on Air Niugini, which only flies twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.
From behind the wire fence, along with dozens of locals, I watched the passengers line up, walking on tarmac to the plane. The last two passengers boarded, then got off again.
The plane took off. The spectators outside the airport fence applauded loudly, then one by one they left. I approached an airport staff member, asking about the two passengers.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Building at Daru Airport, Papua New Guinea.
He said they could not fly because the plane was already overloaded.
"What will they do?" I asked.
"They can only wait for Wednesday," he said.
“In my country, for the plane that is only two hours late, passengers can get angry. These passengers who already had their boarding pass could not fly. Won\'t they sue the airline?"
“Papua New Guinea is different from other countries. In Papua New Guinea, everyone is full of understanding. They all understand the situation,” he said with a smile. Case closed.
