Garuda Indonesia Continues Expansion, This Time the Jakarta-Melbourne Route is Re-opened

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - It is said that Garuda Indonesia will soon reopen the Jakarta-Melbourne route on November 23, 2022. The information was delivered directly by the President Director of Garuda, Irfan Setiaputra.

"This is part of the intensification of performance recovery through efforts to maximize potential Australian demand, which continues to show significant growth in the midst of the transition from the COVID-19 pandemic to an epidemic situation", he said in a statement, Sunday, October 9.

Irfan explained that the Jakarta-Melbourne route will be served using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a capacity of 251 passengers with a configuration of 36 business class and 215 economy class.

"We will fly twice a week", he said.

According to Irfan, the company uses this plan as momentum for national economic recovery, especially through the tourism sector.

"We hope that this flight service can make tourists feel safe and comfortable so that they can return to enjoying the beauty of Indonesian natural and cultural tourism", he said.

Not only targeting travelers but the issuer with the stock code GIAA is also targeting to be a strategic part of expanding flight access to various cities in Indonesia.

For information, the Jakarta–Melbourne PP route will depart with flight number GA 716 which will be served every Wednesday and Saturday at 21:00 LT and arrive at Melbourne Airport the next day at 07:35 LT.

Meanwhile, the Melbourne - Jakarta flight will depart at 09:10 LT and arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta at 12:15 LT using flight number GA 717.

"This route further complements other existing routes, namely Sydney-Denpasar. We consider that Australia is one of the potential market shares for Indonesia with around 80,000 tourist visits in July 2022", he explained.

In addition to accommodating the connectivity of foreign tourists, the opening of the route next month is believed to attract the market share of Indonesian students who are currently studying in Australia.

In addition to accommodating the connectivity of foreign tourists, the opening of the route next month is believed to attract a share of the Indonesian student market which is currently conducting a study in Australia.