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