Sriwijaya Air eyes Jkt-Malang route

MALANG, East Java: Domestic budget carrier Sriwijaya Air is hoping for a one-year concession to operate the Jakarta-Malang route, which started on May 25, marketing and communications manager for Malang Arif Budianto said on Friday.

The airline will also add a service from Malang to Denpasar starting next year.

Arif said other airlines had also approached the Air Force, as the authority of Abdulrachman Saleh Airport, to get the same license to operate the Malang-Jakarta route.

Since starting its operation, Sriwijaya Air has an average of an 80 percent load-factor on its 125-seat Boeing 737-200s.

"But since the increase of the aviation fuel from Rp 3,600 a liter to Rp 6,700 a liter, the load factor has dropped to about 50 percent," Arif said. -- JP