Garuda resumes flights to Timika and Fukuoka<\/p>\n
By Damar Harsanto<\/p>\n
TIMIKA, Irian Jaya (JP): National flag carrier PT Garuda
\nIndonesia announced on Wednesday the resumption of flights from
\nJakarta to the mining town of Timika in Irian Jaya, and from
\nDenpasar, Bali, to the Japanese town of Fukuoka.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the airline suspended its service to Cairns,
\nAustralia, as of last week.<\/p>\n
"We've decided to redirect our Cairns flight to Timika
\ninstead, as Timika is considered more promising in the near
\nfuture," Garuda's vice president of marketing, planning and
\ndevelopment Marco Umbas said after Wednesday's ceremony marking
\nthe resumption of the Timika service. Also present at the
\nceremony was Irian Jaya governor Jaap Solossa.<\/p>\n
Garuda's Fukuoka service also recommenced on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Flights to Timika were halted in 1990 as part of the company's
\nefficiency program.<\/p>\n
Marco said that, starting Wednesday, Garuda flew a 134-seat
\nBoeing 737-400 from Jakarta to Timika via Denpasar three times a
\nweek, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.<\/p>\n
Previously, Garuda has served two towns in Indonesia's
\neasternmost province, Biak and Jayapura.<\/p>\n
Timika, located in the Mimika regency, is the closest town to
\na giant copper and gold mine owned by PT Freeport Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The company is targeting potential passengers among Freeport
\nemployees and the company's subcontractors. It also plans to
\ntransport cargo to support Freeport's operations, including
\nmining machinery and spare parts.<\/p>\n
"We are targeting around 13,500 employees (of Freeport and its
\nsubcontractors) and their relatives as customers," Marco said,
\nadding that Garuda had optimistically projected that passenger
\nand cargo rates to and from the mining town would grow by 8
\npercent and 13 percent respectively per annum.<\/p>\n
In the first year of resumed operations, the company has
\ntargeted a 70 percent load factor, he said.<\/p>\n
Aside from mining cargo, Garuda also expects to transport
\nTimika's aquaculture products, including tuna and shrimps, Marco
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
With regard to the Fukuoka service, Marco said, Garuda decided
\nto restart flights from Denpasar to the city in view of the
\npotential market in the town.<\/p>\n
"We shall fly directly from Denpasar to Fukuoka and vice versa
\nevery Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday using the A-330 aircraft
\nwith 293 seats," Marco said.<\/p>\n
The resumption of flights to Fukuoka would bring the airline's
\nJapanese destinations to four, Marco said.<\/p>\n
Garuda now flies to Tokyo daily and to Osaka and Nagoya four
\ntimes a week.<\/p>\n
Garuda halted its services to 17 international destinations,
\nincluding Fukuoka, Seoul, Taipei, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Paris,
\nRome, Zurich and Saigon, late in 1997 as part of the retrenchment
\nprogram implemented to cope with the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Last year, the company also resumed its international flights
\nto Seoul.<\/p>\n
Garuda director of commerce Bachrul Hakim said earlier, the
\nresumption of the flights to the 17 destinations had become a top
\npriority for the airline.<\/p>\n
He said that, aside from Seoul and Fukuoka, the company was
\nalso studying the possibility of resuming its international
\nflights to several destinations in China.<\/p>\n
Marco said the airline was now reviewing all of its services
\nto create a strong route structure in domestic and international
\nmarkets.<\/p>\n
Flights to some destinations might be suspended or reduced,
\nwhile flights to other destinations might be opened or boosted to
\ncreate a strong route structure, he said.<\/p>\n
Next year, after consolidating its route structure, Marco
\nsaid, the company would commence its expansion projects.<\/p>\n
Garuda, which was an unprofitable state enterprise for years,
\nhas achieved some success recently, following the government's
\nefforts to revamp its management.<\/p>\n
The airline's punctuality over the first half of 2001 rose to
\n93.5 percent in May from 89 percent in January. This improvement
\nis above the International Air Transport Association's standard
\nof 85 percent, Marco said.<\/p>\n
Garuda operates 44 aircraft, comprising 26 Boeing 737s, seven
\nBoeing 747s, six A-330s and five DC-10s. (03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/garuda-resumes-flights-to-timika-and-fukuoka-1447893297",
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