Ansett cuts flights to Bali

Ansett cuts flights to Bali

SYDNEY (AFP): Ansett Australia has cut two flights a week to Bali as a result of the East Timor crisis, it said Thursday.

From this week, the number of flights from Australia to the popular tourist island will be trimmed from 13 a week to 11.

Its Saturday night flight from Sydney and Thursday flight from Darwin have ceased, an Ansett spokeswoman said.

"There was a gradual decline in profitability on some of the flights, compounded by the instability in the region," she said.

A spokeswoman for Garuda, Indonesia's national airline, said all its flights to Bali were operating normally, although October and November are traditionally quiet times.

Garuda operates 22 flights from Australia to Bali a week.

"There have been some cancellations, sure, but it's difficult to tell the impact of the East Timor crisis," a Garuda spokeswoman said.

Qantas said all flights were operating as usual.