Garuda changes routes to better efficiency<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has
\nrestructured its international and domestic flight routes for the
\nwinter season (October-March) in a bid to improve its efficiency
\nand service.<\/p>\n
Garuda's commercial director Sudarso Kaderi said yesterday the
\nrestructuring would result in the reduction of flight frequencies
\nto several destinations and the stoppage of services to several
\nothers.<\/p>\n
He said Garuda would stop flight services to Amman, Abu Dhabi,
\nRome, Zurich, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City and Kaohsiung from Oct.
\n28 to the end of March, 1998.<\/p>\n
\"However, we will continue to serve these routes through
\nalliances with foreign airlines,\" Sudarso said.<\/p>\n
\"This does not mean we are closing the routes. Our objective
\nis operating in the most efficient manner,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The restructuring, he added, was prompted by the delay in the
\ndelivery of several new jetliners such as Boeing-737-500 and
\nBoeing 737-300 and MD-11 of the extended range version to Garuda.<\/p>\n
Garuda will form partnerships with Alitalia for the service to
\nRome, with Swissair to Zurich, with Southern China Airlines to
\nBeijing and Kaohsiung and with Vietnam Air to Saigon.<\/p>\n
The alliances would take the form of either code sharing or
\nblock space, he said.<\/p>\n
\"For example, we will be allocated 20 seats on Alitalia per
\nflight or 6,000 seats a year for Rome,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Garuda passengers bound to Rome have so far averaged only
\nabout 5,700 a year, he said.<\/p>\n
Garuda will fly from Jakarta to Bangkok and Alitalia will
\nconnect the Bangkok-Rome route, Sudarso said.<\/p>\n
The frequency of the Jakarta-Bangkok flights would be
\nincreased to three times a week from twice currently, he added.<\/p>\n
Garuda would also reduce the number of its flights on some
\nroutes. The Denpasar-Kuala Lumpur and the Denpasar-Taipei
\nservices would be reduced to three times a week from four times
\nand the flights to Dhahran would be doubled to twice a week.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-Denpasar service will also be reduced to 66 times
\na week from 81 times and the Denpasar-Jakarta flights to 69 times
\nfrom 92 times a week.<\/p>\n
\"Due to the delay in the delivery of the new airplanes, we
\nhave to operate a medium range aircraft for short distance
\nroutes, which means higher operation costs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The airline will increase its flights to Frankfurt to seven
\ntimes a week from five. Four of the seven flights would be direct
\nflights, Sudarso said.<\/p>\n
Garuda would also expand it service to Amsterdam to six
\nflights from five a week, Saudi Arabia to seven from six and
\nSeoul to seven from five, he said.<\/p>\n
Garuda's Jakarta-Surabaya-Jakarta, Jakarta-Singapore-Jakarta,
\nSurabaya-Denpasar-Surabaya and Surabaya-Hong Kong-Taipei routes
\nwould be increased by one flight, he said.<\/p>\n
But Garuda will reroute some services. The Jakarta-Denpasar-
\nSydney-Melbourne-Denpasar-Jakarta route will be changed into
\nJakarta-Sydney-Melbourne-Denpasar-Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The four-times a week Surabaya-Singapore-Kuala Lumpur flight
\nwill be divided into Surabaya-Singapore service four times a week
\nand Surabaya-Kuala Lumpur three times a week.<\/p>\n
Sudarso said the airline would use the B-747-400 aircraft for
\nEuropean destinations and the MD-11 for the United States, the
\nMiddle East and most Australian destinations.<\/p>\n
The airline will operate A-330-300, B747-200 and DC-10
\naircraft for Asian routes and the B-737, DC-10, and A-300-B4 for
\nregional routes. Domestic flights will use B737, A-300-B4, DC-10
\nand F-28.<\/p>\n
Sudarso said the airline would promote business passengers on
\nits Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Singapore, Hong Kong and
\nTokyo flights as this market was more promising for growth.<\/p>\n
Sudarso also announced yesterday Garuda's plan to lead other
\ndomestic carriers to form an alliance and strengthen their
\ncompetitiveness against foreign airlines. (das)<\/p>\n
Alliance -- Page 12<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/garuda-changes-routes-to-better-efficiency-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }