Garuda reopens China route amid high demand<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
National flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia reopened its Jakarta-
\nGuangzhou route on Tuesday in response to increasing passenger
\nand cargo demand from China, the company's head of communications
\nPujobroto said.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-Medan-Guangzhou route was discontinued at the end
\nof March 1998 in the wake of the Asian economic crisis and the
\ncompany's internal difficulties, he said in a statement on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
The reopened route will be served without the Medan stopover
\nand flown twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, using DC-10
\naircraft.<\/p>\n
\"We also plan to increase the flight frequency to three times
\na week during the summer schedule from April to October,\"
\nPujobroto said.<\/p>\n
He said that passenger traffic between Guangzhou and Jakarta
\nreached 40,037 passengers in 1999, or double that of the previous
\nyear, with tourism accounting for the bulk of reasons for
\nvisiting the country, at 46 percent, followed by business trips,
\nvisiting family, seminars or conferences, religious or health
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
Air cargo also showed a significant increase, with approximate
\nannual traffic at more than 2,254 tons per year, Pujobroto said,
\nadding that the majority of the cargo included live turtles,
\nperishable goods and marine products.<\/p>\n
According to the Guangzhou Tourism Board, Chinese nationals
\nvisiting Indonesia totaled 20,000 people last year, while those
\nvisiting China from Indonesia totaled 220,000 people.<\/p>\n
The airline also reopened on Dec. 9 its Denpasar-Taipei route,
\nwhich had been closed during the crisis.<\/p>\n
The new flight will also stop in Manado, North Sulawesi, and
\nwill be flown four times a week using DC-10 aircraft.<\/p>\n
Passenger traffic to Indonesia from Taiwan increased by almost
\n50 percent last year, to 221,286 passengers from 150,430. The
\nnumber increased again this year to 236,776 passengers, and next
\nyear it is expected to increase to 253,350 passengers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, traffic to Taiwan from Indonesia also increased to
\n114,845 this year, from 107,332 in 2000 and 76,919 in 1999. Some
\n122,884 passengers are expected from Indonesia next year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/garuda-reopens-china-route-amid-high-demand-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}