Medan gets new air service

JAKARTA (JP): LTU, a major air cargo carrier from Germany, will soon open a direct service connecting Muenchen to Medan, North Sumatra, says the province's governor, Raja Inal Siregar.

"The Muenchen-Medan route, with stopovers at Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia, will start in early November," he was quoted as saying by Antara yesterday.

Medan is the third biggest city in Indonesia.

Siregar explained that the route was opened to cater to the demand generated by the province's economic growth.

The governor also said that a national airline, Sabang Merauke Air Charter, will also open two new routes.

The first will connect the city of Sibolga, about 18 hours drive from Medan, to Singapore and the second will connect Medan with Gunung Sitoli, located in the Nias Island, a major tourist resort in the province. (hdj)