Garuda opens new office

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned air carrier Garuda Indonesia opened a new office on Jl. Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta yesterday to improve its public service in the city.

Garuda's general manager for Jakarta, Iwan Handoko Susilo, said yesterday that the new eight-story office was developed by PT Gandaria Sejahtera, a private Jakarta-based firm under a build, operate and own basis.

"Garuda will own this building after a 20-year period starting this year," he said, adding that the plot on Jl. Gunung Sahari is owned by Garuda.

The airline will use just three floors of the building which was inaugurated yesterday by the company's president, Soepandi.

To avoid confusion, a reservation outlet will remain open at Wisma Dharmala Sakti on Jl. Sudirman, where the former Jakarta office was located in the past 10 years.

Garuda will have to pay US$18 per square meter per month to Gandaria which spent some Rp 16 billion ($6.8 million) for the building's construction.

Iwan said that the Jakarta office contributed Rp 591.72 billion or 45 percent to Garuda's total net revenue last year.

"Total sales of tickets and cargo services from Jakarta recorded a 63 percent increase last year from Rp 362.61 billion in 1994."

He said that Garuda had spent some Rp 350 million just for telecommunication services in the new building.

"Garuda has opened a toll-free telephone service. People can now dial 0-800-21747 to make reservations. This is a 24-hour phone service with a total of 60 lines -- 55 for incoming calls and five for outgoing calls," Iwan said. (icn)