Garuda To Serve Direct Flights Between Guangzhou and Denpasar

Beijing (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will open direct flights between Guangzhou  and Denpasar, to facilitate Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia.

Garuda General Manager in Guangzhou Dharmawan J Hendrata said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) already approved the plan.

"The license was issued on Thursday  and it would be processed further by the Indonesian Transport Ministry," Darmawan said here on Friday.

He said Garuda plans to start serving the  new route on July 8 to coincide with  the summer holidays.

He said the new route is opened  on growing demand for direct flight from Guangzhou to the resort island of Bali.

He said Garuda Indonesia  recorded a high load factor of 82 percent in flight between Guanzhou and Indonesia in the first quarter of 2015 up from 70 percent in the same period last year.

Garuda Indonesia already served non stop flights between Beijing and Denpasar starting 13 January 2015.

Currently Garuda Indonesia has served four regular routes between the two countries including Beijing-Jakarta, Shanghai-Jakarta, Guanzghou-Jakarta,  and Beijing-Denpasar.  

Data at the tourism ministry showed that around 9.4 million foreign tourists visited the country in 2014. The number is expected to rise to 12w million in 2015.

Chinese visitors were the fourth  in number totaling 1 million in 2014.  Indonesia hopes to draw more Chinese tourists to reach 10 million by 2019. (WDY)