Garuda slashes flights in wake of Bali blast

Garuda slashes flights in wake of Bali blast

Associated Press, Sydney

Indonesia's national carrier Garuda announced Wednesday it
will cut flights to countries around the world while inbound
tourism dries up in the wake of the Bali bomb attack earlier this
month.

Garuda Indonesia said it would reduce flights to Australia,
the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, and cease flights to
the cities of Frankfurt in Germany, Fukuoka in Japan and Adelaide
in Australia. The changes will begin Nov. 15.

"We emphasize that the rationalization is an interim measure
that will be under constant review," said Iriansyah Antemas,
Garuda Indonesia's general manager in eastern Australia.

Nearly 200 people died in the Oct. 12 attack on a nightclub on
the Indonesian island of Bali that was packed with foreign
tourists from 15 different countries, mostly Australia, Britain,
Sweden, the United States and Germany.

Australia has accounted for the largest proportion of
casualties from all countries including Indonesia with almost 90
of its citizens believed dead or missing.

Before the bombings, Australians made up the majority of
tourists heading to Bali.

Foreign ministries around the world are now warning their
citizens to stay away from Indonesia. Australia's Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade last week warned its nationals to defer
all travel to Bali and put off nonessential travel to other parts
of Indonesia.

Antemas said Garuda hopes soon to see an easing of security
concerns and the eventual lifting of travel warnings by Western
governments.

"We will be working vigorously over coming months to
reconstruct Bali and Indonesia as major destinations, which
without doubt they will become again, given the profound links
forged by visitors and the travel industry over more than 20
years," he said.

Reports in Australia on Wednesday suggested Bali's hotel
occupancy rates had tumbled to just 5 percent this week. Before
the attacks they had enjoyed up to 70 percent occupancy.

Other regional airlines like Australian flag carrier Qantas,
Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand have all warned of
mounting uncertainty in the industry in the short term.

The militant Southeast Asian group Jemaah Islamiyah remains
the main suspect in the bombings, but a team of international
investigators from Indonesia, Australia, the United States and
several other countries has yet to produce definite evidence to
back these suspicions.