Garuda Indonesia to reopen Munich service

JAKARTA (JP): National air carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to reopen its service to Munich, Germany after quitting the Jakarta- Munich route in 1995.

Company general manager in Germany, Agus Asmayadinata, said in Berlin yesterday that Munich had the potential to attract Indonesian tourists.

Garuda would fly to Munich soon after arranging additional fleets, Antara news agency quoted Asmayadinata as saying.

He did not elaborate on when Garuda would officially reopen its Munich service.

In November 1995, Garuda reduced a number of stopovers and terminated several services, mostly in Europe, in a bid to cut costs. Flights to Berlin, Vienna, Munich and Madrid were originally to be resumed by winter of 1995/1996.

Asmayadinata said Garuda was not likely to open its Berlin service before the year 2000, because this market was less competitive than Munich.

The number of passengers travelling from and to Berlin was predicted to increase by 2000, when the German capital was moved there from Bonn.

According to Asmayadinata, in 1995 Garuda carried some 50,000 or 40 percent of total tourists from Germany to Indonesia. In 1995, Garuda flew six times per week to Germany, including Munich and Berlin (one time per week) and Frankfurt (four times weekly).

In 1996, Garuda, with the Jakarta-Frankfurt-Jakarta service five times per week, transported some 40,000 visitors from Germany to Indonesia, he said.

He was optimistic Garuda would be able to carry some 50,000 passengers from Germany to Indonesia this year or next year. (icn)