DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Energy & Infrastructure

ASDP Resumes Pioneer Ship Crossings in NTT Following Government Directive

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry will resume pioneer ship crossing services in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) starting Monday, July 20, 2026.
  • The service resumption follows an instruction from the Minister of Transportation to reactivate the routes, which were temporarily halted due to funding issues for subsidies.
  • The company has prepared fleets, crew, and port services to ensure smooth operations across various routes in the NTT region.

PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry is set to relaunch its pioneer ship crossing services in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) on Monday, July 20, 2026. This reactivation comes after the Minister of Transportation, Dudy Purwagandhi, directed the Class II NTT Regional Transportation Management Center (BPTD) to reinstate the essential services.

ASDP's President Director, Heru Widodo, confirmed the company's readiness to resume operations, emphasizing the critical role these services play in connecting island communities, particularly in underdeveloped, remote, and frontier (3T) areas. "ASDP is ready to re-operate the pioneer crossing service in accordance with government directives. For the people in the island regions, especially the 3T areas, this service is the main link for social and economic activities," Widodo stated in a written release.

The General Manager of ASDP Kupang Branch, Ardhani Friandy, assured that the company has meticulously prepared its fleets, ship crews, and port facilities to align with regulatory standards. The revived services will cover numerous routes managed by ASDP Kupang and Sape branches, including key passages in Flores, Lembata, Alor, Sabu Raijua, Sikka, Manggarai Barat, and Waingapu.

These services were previously suspended on July 1, 2026, after the BPTD Class II NTT indicated that local governments lacked the funding basis to pay subsidies to operators. The halt was triggered by the non-availability of the second semester subsidy budget from the State Budget for 2026. A letter dated June 30, 2026, had instructed ASDP to temporarily cease all state-funded pioneer crossing services until further notice. The NTT Transportation Agency subsequently relayed this policy to the NTT Provincial Government.

ASDP is ready to re-operate the pioneer crossing service in accordance with government directives. For the people in the island regions, especially the 3T areas, this service is the main link for social and economic activities.

— Heru WidodoASDP President Director Heru Widodo explained the importance of the service.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog