ID :
59696
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 20:05
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https://www.oananews.org//node/59696
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RI, AUSSIE FORM TEAM TO REOPEN DENPASAR-DARWIN FLIGHT ROUTE
Jakarta, May 8 (ANTARA) - The Ministry of State Enterprises and the Northern Territory of Australia have set up a technical team in charge of reopening the Garuda flight route from Denpasar (Bali) to Darwin, a cabinet minister said.
"The technical team will discuss the various decisions both sides will take," Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil said here on Friday.
The national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, shut its Denpasar-Darwin flight route on April 22, 2009 on the ground that its load factor was too small.
Garuda had served the route since 1980 but it was considered not profitable because the number of passengers was small and Garuda served the route only twice a week.
It was reported earlier that Northern Territory's Minister for Asian Relations Christopher Bruce Burns had offered a marketing fund support cooperation for Garuda in Darwin to the Indonesian government.
The offer was part of the serious efforts being made by the Northern Territory to maintain Garuda flights to Darwin.
"I will do anything to make Garuda return to Darwin," he said in a press statement on Garuda's decision to close its Denpasar-Darwin route as of April 22, 2009.
Burns had talked to State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil, Indonesian Consul in Darwin Harbangan Napitupulu, and Garuda Indonesia General Manager in Darwin Syahrul Tahir. He had also sent a letter to Garuda President Director Emirsyah Satar.
The NT minister said Garuda had contributed significantly to the good relations between Darwin and Indonesia, and the Northern Territory government was doing everything possible to enable Garuda to continue its route to Darwin.
The Indonesian tourism and culture ministry's foreign affairs director, I Gde Pitana also, regretted Garuda's decision to close the Darwin-Denpasar route following the global economic crisis, saying it could be counterproductive for Indonesia's efforts to attract 480,000 Australian tourists this year.***
"The technical team will discuss the various decisions both sides will take," Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil said here on Friday.
The national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, shut its Denpasar-Darwin flight route on April 22, 2009 on the ground that its load factor was too small.
Garuda had served the route since 1980 but it was considered not profitable because the number of passengers was small and Garuda served the route only twice a week.
It was reported earlier that Northern Territory's Minister for Asian Relations Christopher Bruce Burns had offered a marketing fund support cooperation for Garuda in Darwin to the Indonesian government.
The offer was part of the serious efforts being made by the Northern Territory to maintain Garuda flights to Darwin.
"I will do anything to make Garuda return to Darwin," he said in a press statement on Garuda's decision to close its Denpasar-Darwin route as of April 22, 2009.
Burns had talked to State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil, Indonesian Consul in Darwin Harbangan Napitupulu, and Garuda Indonesia General Manager in Darwin Syahrul Tahir. He had also sent a letter to Garuda President Director Emirsyah Satar.
The NT minister said Garuda had contributed significantly to the good relations between Darwin and Indonesia, and the Northern Territory government was doing everything possible to enable Garuda to continue its route to Darwin.
The Indonesian tourism and culture ministry's foreign affairs director, I Gde Pitana also, regretted Garuda's decision to close the Darwin-Denpasar route following the global economic crisis, saying it could be counterproductive for Indonesia's efforts to attract 480,000 Australian tourists this year.***
