Fly with us and meet some of our passengers as
we travel from Timor-Leste's capital, Dili, to Suai
on the southern coast. The journey by air takes only 35 minutes, compared with up to 8 hours by
road.
It's another morning at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili. Ground crew and Safety Officer Andreas Caetano answers a phone call whilst preparing the aircraft for flight.
Maria Delfina dos Santos checks in with her son Ahzrel Jules dos Santos Gomes. “We want to fly on MAF’s planes because it will take us less time than travelling by car, which normally causes us car sickness,” said Mrs Santos.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Timor-Leste operates the eight seat GippsAero GA8 Airvan. With its large windows, it is an ideal platform from which to view Timor-Leste's stunning scenery.
Airborne, the flight departs over Dili's picturesque foreshore. The shuttle service operates daily to connect eight different district centres to the capital city.
Overhead Liquiçá, the flight turns inland and begins the climb over Timor's mountainous central region. Unlike the winding roads that ascend the steep mountains, the aeroplane's track is relatively direct.
As the flight stops in at Maliana, passengers get a view of extensive rice paddies and their mark on the landscape.
Climbing out of Maliana, the flight takes in spectacular mountain scenery as it crosses the central cordillera of the island. Passengers are spared the ordeal of a drawn-out road journey as they look down on the many bends in the road below.
As the flight descends towards the destination of Suai, passengers get a stark reminder of the challenges and limitations of road travel.
Captain Nick Hitchins lines up the aircraft on final approach to the coastal city of Suai.
STORY & PHOTOS / MATT PAINTER