Garuda adds domestic routes

JAKARTA (JP): National air carrier Garuda Indonesia will add more services from Jakarta to Jayapura in Irian Jaya but will cut flights to Ujungpandang in South Sulawesi beginning June 16.

The company said yesterday that it would link Jakarta and Jaya Pura via Ujungpandang and Biak seven times per week by operating Boeing B737-400 aircraft.

Garuda currently serves Jakarta-Jayapura three times per week.

"This is an effort to widen the gateway to the country's eastern region," Garuda said, adding that the load factor of the route reached 78 percent.

The airline announced that direct flights between Jakarta- Ujungpandang and Surabaya-Ujungpandang would be cut from seven to three times per week.

Garuda will link Jakarta and Ujungpandang every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and Surabaya and Ujungpandang every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

The airline currently services 20 domestic destinations with a total of 530 flights per week. (icn)