Garuda Urged to Focus on Developing its Asia Route

Jakarta (Antara) - State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said that the national flight carrier PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk had better focus on developing its Asia Pacific route than the European one such as London. "I think the load factors of flight routes to all areas of Asian countries like Shanghai, Hongkong, and China are very high, and will be very good to be developed," he said here on Friday. Dahlan said, on the contrary, the Garuda's Jakarta-London route is not necessarily beneficial, besides the distance is too far, it also requires serious treatment relating to airport infrastructure. Previously, Garuda announced the delay of its Jakarta-London route opening from November 2, 2013 to May 2014. Garuda blamed that the delay relating to the level of Indonesian pavement classification number/PCN or the strength level of Soekarno-Hatta airport runway that does not conform to standard to be landed by B 777-300ER type aircraft. However, president director of Soekarno-Hatta airport operator (PT Angkasa Pura II) Tri Sunoko said Garuda should not make spectacular plan which is not based on facts and actual data of the airport. (*)