Garuda's Jakarta-Bengkulu Route Needed

BENGKULU, KOMPAS.com - Bengkulu Mayor Ahmad Kanedi has met with PT Garuda Indonesia senior officials and asked the national flag carrier to open a Jakarta-Bengkulu route.

"I have met with three Garuda senior officials namely Suranto, Doni Wijoko, and Husen Abdurahman to discuss the possibility of the national flag carrier to open the Jakarta-Bengkulu route," Kanedi said here on Tuesday.

He said the three Garuda senior officials at the meeting gave a positive response to his request and they promised that Garuda would prioritize Bengkulu as its market target in 2012. Kanedi expressed hope the Garuda would open its Jakarta-Bengkulu route to help develop the economy of the region, the promise of its three senior officials would be realized this year.

According to him, if Garuda opened its route to Bengkulu, it would help improve the local businessmen and people’s economy. Meanwhile, Bengkulu provincial transportation, communication and information department (Dishubkominfo) spokesman Ali Berti said additional flight frequency to Bengkulu by other airline companies was necessary to improve the transportation service to the local community.

Therefore Ali Berti also expressed hope that other airlines, especially Garuda, would open its route to Bengkulu in place of Mandala Airlines which used to serve the route.

"We hope so much the flight of Garunda to Bengkulu will be realized this year."