Bouraq to serve Bengkulu

JAKARTA (JP): Bouraq Airlines will open a new flight service linking Jakarta and Bengkulu, central Sumatra, once a day beginning on Sunday.

"The new service, using Fokker-28 with a capacity of 80 seats, will depart Jakarta at 7:00 a.m. and depart Bengkulu at 8:30 a.m., " Sonny Adnan, the company's Bengkulu representative told Antara on Friday.

Sonny said he projected that more visitors would travel to Bengkulu in view of the improvement in the political and economic condition.

The former Bengkulu district manager of Mandala Airlines, which recently halted services to Bengkulu, said there had been an increase in air travelers to the province during the weekend and during holiday periods.

Teddy Siswedi, Merpati Airlines' district manager in Bengkulu, said competition from Bouraq would not reduce the load factor of Merpati services to the city. He said the load factor currently ranged from 70 percent to 80 percent.

"Now, passengers could have choices of flight that suit their schedule," Siswedi said, adding that Merpati flies to Bengkulu six times a week, departing Jakarta in the afternoon.(06)