Yogya to launch direct flight to KL

Yogya to launch direct flight to KL

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta authorities will officially launch the
first direct flight from the province to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
on Malaysian Airlines beginning in early December.

Speaking to journalists here earlier this week, Yogyakarta
provincial government's Secretary Bambang Susanto Priyohadi said
that the first flight would depart on Dec. 7, 2003.

"A letter signed by the Director General of Air Transportation
of the Ministry of Transportation has stated that Yogyakarta's
Adi Sucipto Airport is suitable to accommodate medium-sized
airplanes like the Boeing 737 especially for Yogyakarta-Kuala
Lumpur and Yogyakarta-Singapore flights," Bambang said.

According to Bambang, there would be three direct flights
every week from Yogyakarta with arrival scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
and departure at 1:15 p.m. The flights, he said, would offer 16
business seats and 128 economy ones. However, they have yet to
decide the fare.

"But it will be affordable. It will not be too far from the
price of a Yogyakarta-Jakarta flight," Bambang said.

He emphasized the urgency of a Yogyakarta-Kuala Lumpur direct
flight, particularly because it is estimated that there would be
very high demand among Indonesian workers in Malaysia ahead of
Idul Fitri.

Moreover, he said, ASEAN countries would also be launching the
ASEAN Go International program at the end of this year, meaning
that such a direct flight would be of a great need, especially
regarding the position of Yogyakarta as a tourist destination
city.

"We do hope the direct flight will benefit the community, both
directly and indirectly," Bambang said. -- JP