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.