SilkAir to suspend Makassar flights

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) said in a statement Wednesday its regional wing SilkAir will suspend its weekly flights to the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar from March 26.

"After a long and careful review, we have decided to suspend the Makassar flights because they are no longer viable. The route was unprofitable for a long time and traffic between Singapore and Makassar has declined further over the past year," SilkAir chief executive Subhas Menon said in a statement as quoted by AFP.

However, Menon said Indonesia would remain a vital part of the SilkAir network, which had flights to regional destinations not serviced by parent firm SIA.

SilkAir would still operate flights to seven Indonesian cities: Balikpapan, Manado in North Sulawesi, Medan, Padang, Solo, Palembang and the island of Lombok, he said. -- JP