Raja Ampat has an Airport now

[matts1w]

Why dont they just upgrade and renovate the airport in sorong?

Because a renovated airport in Sorong would not line the pockets of the contractors who "acquired" the rights to the airport in RA...not to mention the hardwoods sold from the airport land and the adjoing roads...

 

[gee13]

Really? So the plan is to shut down the airport in sorong perhaps? How far is this new airpot from the harbour then?

 

[highdesert]

Really? So the plan is to shut down the airport in sorong perhaps? How far is this new airpot from the harbour then?

Not far ... only about 40 miles ...

... but think of the upside! Now a day diver can take a bus from the new airport to a pier, where a day boat will shuttle them out to places like Manta Sandy, Sardine Reef, or Chicken Reef. Now huuuuuuuundreds of divers a day can do this!!!!

 

[gee13]

Hmmm Im trying to figure out how an airport 40 miles further away from the harbour will increase driver traffic..(I take it will be further than the present distance from sorong-pier right?) ...unless youre referring to the influx of more divers just because there is a 'new' airport? Not having been to RA im curious about this..

 

[highdesert]

Hmmm Im trying to figure out how an airport 40 miles further away from the harbour will increase driver traffic..(I take it will be further than the present distance from sorong-pier right?) ...unless youre referring to the influx of more divers just because there is a 'new' airport? Not having been to RA im curious about this..

Okay, maybe I'm projecting a bit of drama ... or maybe not ... honestly I don't know. I'm just saying that a new airport in Waisai has the potential to put many more divers close to the best sites in Dampier Strait. I'm not talking about liveaboards, but day boats stationed at Waisai. I see the possibility, unless there is very careful supervision by some official body, acting responsibly, and not in their own best interests, of those sites being too heavily impacted. Think about it ... they didn't build that airport just for giggles. Commerce, dollars, euros, rupiah, whatever ... that's the bottom line. And diving will figure heavily in that scenario.

 

[gee13]

I share your concern about the possibility of over-diving on the sites. When I get back from Raja perhaps I will be better qualified to comment. What Im trying to figure out in my head is that I recently went to Komodo - it was relatively straightforward to get to from Bali. No interconnecting domestic flight. I imagine a lot of people would go there via Labuan Bajo as well. However on our LOB we didnt see any other groups at all the popular sites. Perhaps I cannot directly compare Komodo to Raja as I have been to the latter but where Im heading with this is that Raja will always be further to get to even though there are direct flights. Being a little isolated and having a lack of established tourism infrastructure of some of the other more popular mass dive locations such as Thailand and Philippines because there are more resorts, shopping, bars etc... we cannot assume that a newer airport in Raja = instant mass dive tourism. At least lets hope not for the interest of conservation. However if its easier to get to for us divers that enjoy more remote locations and dont mind travelling further for it then this is surely not a negative thing. The irony is that if it is in the interest of the dive industry to continue bringing in the divers hopefully there will be more pressure on local fishermen to cease bombing and finning in the area.

@Matts1w Im just curious as to why you disagree that this new airport means it will be easier to get to Raja?

 

[Allison Finch]

I've been to Raja several times over the years. The last was just this last winter. In my opinion, there are way too many boats plying those waters. And, with the control of the sites that some land based operations are exercising, diving is becoming a nightmare there. The difference from the first time there (only two boats and one land based) and now is sad. I see no good coming of making it that much easier to dive there. It will just get as damaged as many other heavily dived areas.

 

[matts1w]

@Matts1w Im just curious as to why you disagree that this new airport means it will be easier to get to Raja?

I absolutely agreee this will make it easier to dive RA. I strongly disagree that this is "good to hear."

 

[gee13]

Sentiments shared then.. however inconclusive as to the perceived outcome

 

[Luko]

we cannot assume that a newer airport in Raja = instant mass dive tourism.

I agree Gee. If we take Ambon for instance, where they have glorious diving along with a quite good airport, great flight connections, more than 20 flights a week from Jakarta, planning to get regular flights from Singapore... Is Ambon seeing more diving visitors... uh... within a year at least I haven't seen any changes. There's one upmarket dive operator with regular divers and the other less expensive one which is struggling (reason why, I dunno, marketing issue maybe...).
I would tend to think upmarket diving is an "offer driven" market, what really attracts divers are the diving infrastructures not really the ease to get to : it's quite easy to get to Labuan Bajo, cheap enough, yet the dive centres are so so, I cannot raise a big landbased operator. Raja Ampat is a pain to go to, expensive, though we all know names of at least 2 or 3 landbased resorts. So it's not about the transports, "it's the dive centre economy, stupid!"

Btw, you know what really increases road traffic : a new supermall, hypermarket or call what you want... I was in Ambon 4 months ago, the day they opened the new mall, gosh it was a nightmare, ferries from outer islands were full, hotel rooms were completely booked... and 3hrs car ride to get from downtown Ambon to my hotel, which takes usually 30mns!!!! Except me, no divers in these cars though.

I say : death to both mass and marketed consuming.