SURABAYAPAGI.com - Garuda Indonesia airlines officially opened a new London-Denpasar route starting Monday (22/1) to fulfill the wishes of customers who want to go directly to Bali from London. Garuda Indonesia President Director Ari Askhara said the route made Garuda the first and only airline to connect London directly with Bali.
Direct flight London-Denpasar is an adjustment to the previous route Jakarta-London-Jakarta. "Passengers from London to Jakarta can continue their flight to Jakarta via Denpasar," Ari said on Tuesday (22/1).
Ari revealed that the Jakarta-London-Denpasar route was an attempt by the company to accommodate market demand. This is also to optimize the level of passenger occupancy.
He considered the route was part of the companys ongoing commitment to strengthen international flight networks.
"Especially by providing direct connectivity access from the most populous flight hubs in Indonesia, namely Jakarta and Bali to London Heathrow International Airport," explained Ari.
In addition, according to Ari, the flight service is also a positive step for Garuda Indonesia in its efforts to improve airline performance. In particular, through the strategy of developing international flight networks, especially in the UK-Indonesia aviation sector which continues to show increasingly promising market growth.
"At present the number of British tourist arrivals to Indonesia has shown a significant increase, especially through Bali as one of the leading tourism destinations in Indonesia," said Ari.
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the number of foreign tourists from England to Indonesia, especially through Bali, is the fourth highest after China, Australia and India. During the first nine months of this year, the number reached 210,062 visits, which means it grew 9.3 percent compared to the same period last year.
Ari said he was optimistic that the operation of Jakarta-London-Denpasar direct flights could further expand the international flight network market share. "We hope that it can also strengthen the potential market share of Garuda Indonesias international flights," Ari said.
He operation of the direct flight route also became its own market potential for Bali, which became a new hub for the Australia-Europe market. At present, Garuda Indonesia also connects Denpasar with three major Australian destinations such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.
Direct London-Denpasar flights are serviced by a Boeing 777-300 ER dual class type aircraft. The flight consists of economy and business flight classes and is operated three times a week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The Jakarta-London-Denpasar route is departed from Soekarno Hatta International Airport at 12.05 WIB and arrives at London Heathrow International Airport at 20.00 local time. Meanwhile, London-Denpasar flights are departed from London Heathrow International Airport at 21:55 local time and arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport the next day at 9:15 p.m. rk
