Merpati to serve S'pore

Merpati to serve S'pore

JAKARTA (JP): Garuda Indonesia will increase its flights to
Los Angeles in the United States next week, while Merpati
Nusantara, its subsidiary, will start serving Singapore.

On Monday Merpati will start a direct flight connecting
Bandung in West Java with Singapore, using a Fokker 28 aircraft
which can accommodate 80 passengers.

Several officials will be on board Merpati's first flight,
including Secretary of the Directorate of Air Transportation T.B.
Matoulang, two Merpati directors, Ridwan Fatarudin and Budiarto
Subroto, and legislator M. Diran.

Indonesia and Singapore signed an air agreement last month,
allowing each other to increase flight services between the two
countries.

Garuda, in the meantime, will extend its flights to Los
Angeles from four to five times a week on Oct. 30.

The national carrier will use only MD-11 aircraft to serve the
Jakarta-Los Angeles route, which is now also served by B-747-200
Combi. (hdj)