Indonesian authorities announced on Saturday that they had lost contact with an Indonesia Air Transport plane on a domestic flight with 10 people on board, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation in rugged mountainous terrain.
Trip details and missing persons
According to official statements from officials, the plane had taken off from Yogyakarta bound for Makassar on the island of Sulawesi. Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Tringgono, explained at an urgent press conference that the plane was carrying three ministry employees on an official mission to conduct aerial surveillance of marine and fisheries resources in the region, as well as seven crew members from the airline.
Contact with the aircraft was suddenly lost shortly after 13:00 local time (06:00 GMT), prompting immediate concerns at air traffic control centers.
Search operations in difficult terrain
In response to the incident, Mohammad Arif Anwar, head of the local search and rescue agency, stated that rescue teams had been urgently deployed to a mountainous area of Maros district, the region bordering Makassar that had been identified as the last known location of the aircraft before it disappeared from radar.
The operation involves a large-scale effort by the air force and police, supported by teams of volunteers. Andy Sultan, head of operations for the Makassar search and rescue agency, confirmed that helicopters and drones are being used to scour the rugged mountainous terrain in an attempt to locate the aircraft or find any possible wreckage.
Aviation context in the Indonesian archipelago
Aviation accidents in Indonesia are of particular significance due to the country's geography. As the world's largest archipelago, comprising thousands of scattered islands, Indonesia makes air transport a vital lifeline and the primary means of connecting its various cities and islands, whether for transporting passengers or cargo, or for government surveillance purposes, as in the case of this flight.
Despite its heavy reliance on aviation, Indonesia's aviation sector has historically faced safety challenges, with the country experiencing several accidents in recent years. Indonesian authorities are continuously working to improve infrastructure and air safety standards to ensure passenger safety and mitigate risks associated with challenging terrain and tropical weather patterns.
Manufacturer's position
For its part, the French aircraft manufacturer ATR reacted to the news, issuing a statement confirming that it had been informed of an "incident" involving one of its aircraft. The company expressed its full commitment to supporting the ongoing investigations, noting that its experts are fully engaged in assisting the Indonesian authorities and the operator in uncovering the circumstances of the incident.
