Indonesia Resumes East Nusa Tenggara Ferry Services After Funding Dispute

East Nusa Tenggara Ferry Operations Restart Following Financial Agreement Resolution

Restoration of Maritime Connections

Tempatdonasi.com – PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) has announced plans to restart cross-strait ferry operations across the East Nusa Tenggara province, with services officially beginning on Monday, July 20, 2026. This decision comes after extensive coordination between the ferry operator and relevant government authorities to resolve a recent funding disagreement that had disrupted maritime transportation in the region.

Heru Widodo, serving as the Chief Executive Officer of ASDP, explained that the operational restart follows a direct instruction from Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. The minister directed the Class II NTT Land Transportation Management Agency, known as BPTD, to reactivate the ferry services that had been temporarily halted. This directive represents a significant step toward restoring normal maritime connectivity for communities across the archipelago.

According to Heru Widodo, ASDP has engaged in thorough coordination with both the Ministry of Transportation and various regulatory bodies to ensure every operational component is prepared for implementation. The company expressed full readiness to resume pioneer ferry services in alignment with government instructions.

“ASDP is ready to resume the pioneer ferry services as per the government’s directive. For people in the archipelago, especially in the 3T regions, this service is the main link for social and economic activities,” said Heru in a written statement on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

Background of the Service Suspension

The temporary suspension of ferry operations began on July 1, 2026, affecting all pioneer ferry crossings within the work area of both ASDP Kupang Branch and Sape Branch. The decision to halt services came after the Class II NTT BPTD communicated that the regional government lacked an adequate funding basis to provide subsidies to the ferry operator.

This financial challenge was primarily triggered by the absence of allocated subsidies for pioneer ferry transportation from the State Budget Semester II of Fiscal Year 2026. Without this crucial financial support, the regional government could not fulfill its subsidy obligations to ASDP, necessitating the temporary cessation of services.

Through an official letter dated June 30, 2026, the BPTD formally requested ASDP to temporarily suspend all pioneer ferry transportation services that were funded by the State Budget until further notice could be provided. This policy decision was subsequently communicated by the NTT Transportation Agency to the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government during the following week.

Operational Preparations and Affected Routes

Ardhani Friandy, who serves as the General Manager of ASDP Kupang Branch, confirmed that comprehensive preparations have been completed. The company has organized the fleet, ensured ship crews are available, and prepared all necessary port services to enable operations to resume in accordance with regulatory provisions.

The resumed services encompass multiple routes operated by both ASDP Kupang Branch and Sape Branch. These include ferry connections serving the Flores, Lembata, Alor, Sabu Raijua, Sikka, West Manggarai, and Waingapu regions. The suspended pioneer ferry crossings that are now being restored include several important routes.

For routes under the ASDP Sape branch, the affected crossings include Labuan Bajo-Waingapu and Labuan Bajo-Pulau Rinca. Additional routes include Kalabahi-Bakalang-Baranusa-Adonara, Lewoleba-Solor-Larantuka crossing, and Sabu-Raijua-Waingapu crossing. The ASDP Kupang Branch routes that were suspended include Kalabahi-Pulau Pura-Teluk Gurita-Maritaing-Kewapante-Palue-Marapokot, Kewapante-Pemana crossing, and Kewapante-Pulau Besar crossing.

Community Impact and Future Outlook

The restoration of these ferry services holds particular significance for communities in the 3T regions—Terdepan (frontier), Terluar (outermost), and Tertinggal (lagging) areas. These maritime connections serve as vital lifelines for both social interactions and economic activities across the scattered islands of East Nusa Tenggara.

Tempo has attempted to verify the details regarding the suspension letter through direct confirmation with both the Ministry of Transportation and ASDP. While the Ministry of Transportation did not provide an immediate response, ASDP issued a formal statement confirming the operational restart. The company continues to monitor the situation closely to ensure smooth service delivery as operations resume across all affected routes in the region.