Concorde to arrive at RI Show
Concorde to arrive at RI Show
JAKARTA (JP): For a third time, the world's only supersonic
passenger jet will arrive in the city for the Indonesia Air Show
1996.
The manager of British Airways in Indonesia, David H. Jones,
told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the Concorde will arrive at
Soekarno-Hatta airport on June 24 and return to London on June
28.
"Tickets for seats on the flights are now on sale. The
airfares are set for first class," he said. "The 100-seat
Concorde has just one class on board."
The Concorde will cover the 8,200-mile trip to London in a
flying time of 10 hours and 20 minutes. Due to noise
restrictions, the aircraft will not fly supersonic over land and
will make refueling stops in Colombo and Jeddah.
The fastest subsonic flights by a Boeing B747-400 jet from
Jakarta to London currently take 15 hours and 20 minutes.
According to Jones, British Airways currently operates seven
Concordes from London to the United States and the Caribbean.
"The aircraft is also used on charter flights worldwide,
including the 'Round the World' tours which visit Bali every
year," he said.
He said that the Concorde will also be chartered for a charity
program by Yayasan Citra Baru, a foundation chaired by Mrs. Benny
Moerdani, to fly to Bali on June 26.
A supersonic aircraft has a cruising speed of 1,350 meters per
hour (mph) at a height of 55,000 feet and a landing speed which
reaches 187 mph. The Concorde, powered with four Rolls-
Royce/Snecma Olympus 593s, takes off at 220 knots, compared with
165 knots for most subsonic aircraft.
The Concorde landed in Jakarta for the first time in the 1970s
and for a second time in September 1986 when it flew the late
French president Francois Mitterand to Indonesia.
The Concorde, its nose lowered to improve pilot visibility
during landing, is expected to be a special attraction during the
Indonesia Air Show to be held from June 22 to June 30 at
Soekarno-Hatta airport.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the air show, Binsar Tobing, said
yesterday that 257 parties from 21 nations will participate in
the show.
The Indonesia Air Show will feature dynamic and static
exhibitions, while some of the world's most entertaining
aerobatic teams will grace the skies at the event.
A 5,122-square-meter area and another 2,900-square-meter
pavilion have been prepared for an exhibition hall and Indonesian
pavilion, respectively.
Tobing said that the nine-day event is open to the public on
from June 28 to June 30.
"We expect the public to use public transportation facilities
to visit the air show. We have prepared 50 buses for public
transportation," he said. "Instead of using private vehicles,
people may go to the Senayan parking lot, Gambir and Kemayoran
and take a bus." (icn)