Ansett Australia, NZ to increase flights

JAKARTA (JP): The recently formed alliance between Ansett Australia and Air New Zealand will soon increase flights from Indonesia to both Australia and New Zealand, the companies' spokesman said yesterday.

Ansett's general manager in Indonesia Con Korfiatis said both airlines formed an alliance July 1 and would offer daily flights from Jakarta to New Zealand via Australia, and four weekly flights from Bali to New Zealand via Sydney starting Oct. 27.

"The alliance means an integrated operational system here, including single sales, ticketing, marketing and airline service," said Korfiatis, who will be the country manager for both airlines.

He said the new partnership would boost the airlines' customer service and mutual cost efficiency, and make it more competitive.

Air New Zealand, which bought a 50 percent stake in Ansett last year, would move into existing Ansett offices both in Bali and Jakarta, he said.

Currently Air New Zealand offers twice weekly flights from Bali to New Zealand.

Ansett now flies the Jakarta to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur route daily and Bali-Australia flights eight times a week.

Korfiatis said the loading factor of existing Ansett Jakarta- Sydney and Bali-Sydney routes had been close to 100 percent.

"We were concerned that there might be a decline in the number of passengers a couple of months ago due to the low season, but our promotional campaign helped us pick up more bookings than we thought," he said.

He said 60 percent of purchases for the Jakarta-Sydney route were made in Indonesia and the remaining 40 percent in Australia. But 95 percent of purchases for the Bali-Sydney route were made in Australia, due to the high amount of Australians going to Bali, he said.

Korfiatis said the airlines would also offer an extra 14 flights from Jakarta to New Zealand via Singapore, after the new alliance arrangement with Singapore Airlines had been approved.

Ansett, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding last June to negotiate a commercially cooperative airline alliance.

The alliance proposal was now subject to approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, he said.

Ansett Australia began flying to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur in February last year, in addition to its existing Australia-Bali route since 1993. (das)