Lion Air's maiden flight to Spore

Lion Air's maiden flight to Spore

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Tickets for Lion Air's Jakarta-Singapore flights for November
have sold out, which may indicate a desire for the services of
the low-cost airline.

The first of what is to be a service that flies from Jakarta
to Singapore four times a day departs Tuesday.

Several travel agents contacted by The Jakarta Post over the
weekend said all flights were fully booked until the first week
of December.

"It may be because of cheap tickets and the holiday season," a
travel agency staff member said.

Hasyim Arsal Alhabsi, Lion Air's public relations manager,
told The Post over the weekend that the company had deliberately
decided to launch the Jakarta-Singapore service during the peak
season to anticipate the increasing number of passengers as well
as to give a better "psychological effect" for the company.

Lion Air will use 152-seat planes on the route, which will
depart from Jakarta at 7:10 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 5:45
p.m daily.

"A return Singapore-Jakarta ticket costs US$90, excluding tax
and insurance, for economy class," Hasyim said. Including tax and
insurance, tickets cost $121.

He said the price was about 33 percent lower than those
offered by other airlines for the same route.

"Different from other low-cost airlines, we will offer hot and
cold drinks, as well as sandwiches or bread during the flight."

Hasyim said Lion Air would offer a business class next month.

Lion Air, first established in 2000, now has 23 aircraft and
plans to increase its fleet to 33 in 2004. It is now flying to 32
cities across the country and plans to expand its routes to 56
cities next year.

With its new service, Lion Air will be engaged in head-on
competition with established airlines such as Singapore Airlines
and Garuda Indonesia, to capitalize on one of the region's
busiest routes.

Both airlines refused to comment on the impact of Lion Air's
service.