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Dili airport reverts to civilian control

DILI: The airport in East Timor's capital of Dili reverted to civilian control on Monday, four months after a rampage by Indonesian troops and their local allies put a stop to commercial flights.

In a brief ceremony, officers of the international force that arrived in East Timor to restore order on September 20, handed over control of Komoro airport to United Nations officials.

The UN Transitional Authority in East Timor is guiding the half-island territory to independence after 300 years of Portuguese colonial rule and a quarter-century of Indonesian military occupation.

Soon after the handover, a Fokker 28 jetliner belonging to Indonesia's state-owned Merpati Nusantara Airline landed at Komoro.

Airline representatives said the test flight, which brought in Merpati and Indonesian government officials, was conducted in anticipation of the resumption of commercial flights to East Timor in the near future.

Merpati, a subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, serviced East Timor with daily flights from Jakarta before the August 30 referendum that resulted in an overwhelming vote for independence.

East Timor's main international airport is located in Baucau, some 80 kilometres east of Dili. It remains under the control of the peacekeeping forces.