Merpati flies to Perth

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned air carrier Merpati Nusantara will launch a new service to Perth, Australia, on Sunday.

Merpati's spokesperson, Tondo Widodo, said here yesterday that the airline would link Jakarta and Perth via Denpasar, Bali, three times a week using a 210-seat Airbus A310.

The flight to Perth would be Merpati's sixth international destination after Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Darwin, Port Hedland and Melbourne, he said.

"The service to Perth has a lot of potential. Many Indonesians want to go to the city, which has popular tourist attractions. Some of them own property there," Tondo said.

Tondo said the rise in the number of travelers from Perth to Bali and Lombok was also promising.

Merpati's flight from Jakarta to Perth will occur every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and will return every Wednesday, Saturday and Monday. (icn)