Lufhansa sees growth in passenger loads
Lufhansa sees growth in passenger loads
JAKARTA (JP): Lufthansa is predicting robust growth in its
passenger-loads to and from Indonesia this year despite the
troubled security situation in the country.
The German airline's vice president for Asia and Pacific,
Manfred Reimer, said here on Friday that he was optimistic the
number of passengers would double to 500,000 from 250,000 last
year.
He acknowledged the uncertain security situation in some parts
of the archipelago could discourage both businesspeople and
tourists from visiting the country. But he believed the situation
would immediately return to normal in line with the government's
serious efforts to solve the problem.
The government's strong commitment to speed up the country's
economic recovery by providing a more conducive business climate
will also result in increased business activities with other
countries, he said.
"We have seen some good signs of recovery here ... and we hope
that the political situation will not worsen so that peace will
soon return," he told a media briefing.
Sectarian conflicts, which have persisted for more than a year
in the onetime spice islands of Maluku, have spread to nearby
provinces such as South Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara.
Recent unrest led several foreign countries, including the
United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, to apply
strong travel warnings on their citizens from visiting Lombok.
Reimer said that in order to anticipate the increase in seat
demand, the airline would operate three new code-sharing flights
with Singapore Airlines beginning Feb. 1 to transport passengers
from Jakarta to Singapore as part of Lufthansa's service to
Frankfurt.
Lufthansa opened two new direct flights from Jakarta to
Frankfurt two weeks ago, bringing to seven its weekly flights
between Germany and Jakarta.
"The opening of these new services reflects our strong hope on
Indonesia, which has been one of our potential markets in the
region," he said.
General manager of the airline's Jakarta office Carlos M.
Heinemann said Indonesia contributed 2.1 percent, or around US$80
million, to Lufthansa's total gross revenues in Asia last year.
"We expect to see a 100 percent increase in the revenues this
year in line with the surge in passengers demand to and from
Jakarta."
He said Lufthansa would improve its service by implementing an
Internet-based booking system for its Indonesian market.
"We are ready with the content application. But we have to
wait for Indonesia's airport management firm Angkasa Pura to
develop the required infrastructure to support the application of
the integrated Internet booking and electronic ticket system."
The airline has sold tickets for the Jakarta market on the
company's website since March 1999, with 300 tickets purchased so
far. (cst)