Garuda Indonesia to reopen Munich service

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)