Cathay adds RI-China flights

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Citing the market potential, Asia's top carrier, Cathay Pacific, will serve more flights connecting cities in Indonesia and China starting July 4, company executives say.

"The new routes we plan to serve are flights from Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar to China's industrial town of Shanghai," Cathay's Southeast Asia regional manager Patrick Yeung said late on Friday during a press briefing in Surabaya.

The new flights, which will all connect through Hong Kong, will add to the existing Surabaya-Hong Kong route the carrier has served since 1995. The press briefing on Friday was held to mark the 10th anniversary of the Surabaya-Hong Kong route.

Yeung said the company was upbeat the move would be welcomed by tourists and business travelers in both nations.

"The flows of cargo should also get a good response," Yeung said, sounding an optimistic note.

After 10 years, the company says it has flown some 491,000 Indonesians from Surabaya to Hong Kong, in addition to the shipment of about 26,000 ton of cargo.

Richard Reed, Cathay Pacific's country manager in Indonesia, also painted an upbeat outlook despite the continued high price of jet fuel.

"(High fuel prices) will eventually push carriers to increase their retail ticket fares, although I do not think this will significantly reduce passengers," said Reed.

He pointed to the Surabaya-Hong Kong service as an example. "It's been 10 years now, and we're still looking good."