RI, Australia reach air deal

RI, Australia reach air deal

JAKARTA (JP): The Australian embassy announced yesterday that
Indonesia and Australia have agreed to increase air services
between the two countries within the next 18 months.

The embassy said in a statement that the agreement, reached in
Australia last weekend, would allow Australia's Qantas and
Indonesia's Garuda and Sempati airlines to increase the number of
flights to and from Perth, Darwin, Port Hedland, Adelaide and
Brisbane.

"The new arrangements will allow carriers to keep pace with
the spectacular growth in traffic between Indonesia and
Australia, our fifth largest aviation market which is growing by
20 percent a year," the statement quoted Australian Minister for
Transport Laurie Brereton as saying.

Last year, over 6,200 people traveled each way per week
between Indonesia and Australia.

"Australian carriers will also benefit from increased
opportunities to operate beyond Indonesia to Singapore, Malaysia
and Thailand, which are some of the largest aviation markets in
the world," the minister said.(riz)