JAL doubles RI flights despite security concerns

JAL doubles RI flights despite security concerns

JAKARTA (JP): Japan Airlines (JAL) is doubling its flights to
Indonesia despite growing concern over security in the country.

Starting April 1, JAL will fly 14 times a week to Indonesia, a
marked increase over its current seven flights a week to the
country.

JAL currently operates a daily Osaka-Denpasar-Jakarta-Osaka
route served by DC-10 aircraft, in addition to a daily Narita-
Jakarta-Denpasar route served by B747 aircraft.

Shuichi Sakamoto, JAL's marketing manager in Indonesia, said
here on Monday the expansion was in anticipation of a future
increase in the number of air passengers to and from Indonesia.

"We are expecting at least a 10 percent increase in the number
of Japanese visitors to Indonesia this year," he said.

He attributed the estimated increase of visitors from Japan to
Indonesia to the expected recovery of Japan's economy in 1999.

"Japan's economy this year will likely be much better than
last year, especially due to the government's efforts to develop
proper policies to stimulate the economy," he said.

Sakamoto estimated the number of travelers departing from
Jakarta and Bali also would increase by about 20 percent this
year.

He said the number of passengers from Japan to Indonesia
reached 130,000 people last year, almost the same number recorded
in 1997.

He believes this year's 10 percent increase in the number of
passengers to Indonesia can be achieved despite fears over
reports of escalating social unrest in Indonesia.

Many foreign tourists have canceled trips to Indonesia due to
religious and ethnic conflicts in several parts of the country.
Many people also fear the security situation in the country could
deteriorate ahead of and after the general election scheduled for
June 7.

He said the Japanese Embassy in Indonesia had issued warnings
to Japanese visitors due to the country's unstable security
situation.

A second-grade warning was given to Jakarta, meaning that it
was recommended only business travelers visit the city. No
warning has been issued for Bali, Sakamoto said, adding that a
third-grade warning was given to Ambon, meaning the embassy was
recommending against all travel to the area.

"At this stage, there is likely no plan for the (Japanese)
embassy to change its warnings, so we can still expect Japanese
people to come here," he said.

In addition to the expansion of the number of its flights, JAL
Indonesia also launched two new tour packages from Jakarta to
China and Europe and continued to promote its Jakarta-Las Vegas
tour package. The moves were made to anticipate an increase in
outbound visitors, said Daniel Surjadi, managing director of JAL
Indonesia's subsidiary, PT Taurina Travel Jaya.

He was upbeat the new packages would sell, mainly because of
lower prices. "Our trip to Europe is seven days longer than those
offered by other carriers, but ours is US$300 cheaper than
theirs."

Not for exodus

Both Daniel and Sakamoto denied allegations the increased
number of flights and the new tour packages were part of JAL's
strategy to anticipate a possible exodus of Indonesians and
expatriates wishing to avoid possible riots ahead of the June
election.

"The flight increases and the tour packages were certainly not
created because of a possible exodus. Though we can't deny the
fact that there might be an increase in the number of outbound
passengers from Indonesia during the election period," Daniel
said.

JAL increased its number of flights to 10 flights a day after
massive riots hit Jakarta on May 13, 1997, mainly to serve
Japanese expatriates and their families, he said.

Thousands of foreigners and Chinese-Indonesians fled the
country after the riots, which killed hundreds of people and led
to the resignation of president Soeharto after 32 years in power.

He also denied allegations the tour packages would mainly be
used by Indonesians wishing to avoid the election, saying that
Indonesian passengers who were traveling abroad during the
election could still exercise their right to vote.

"We are not encouraging people here not to vote and leave the
country to avoid unwanted trouble. We will help passengers who
join our China and Europe tours and who wish to vote visit
Indonesian embassies or appointed offices in destination cities,"
he added. (cst)