Indonesian Airlines Asked To Serve Direct Flights To Cambodia

Siem Reap (Antara Bali) - The Cambodian government wants Indonesian airlines to serve direct flight to Phnom Penh  and Siem Reap, where the famous Angkor Wat temple is located.

Indonesian Ambassador Soehardjono Sastromihardjo  said here on Wednesday, Prime Minister  Hun Sen already  made the request directly to  President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during an ASEAN summit meeting in Bali last year.

Soehardjono was here accompanying visiting  Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan at an ASEAN meeting of economics ministers held in this ancient city of Cambodia.

He said Hun Sen also wanted state telecommunication company PT Telkom to acquire a stake in Cam GSM, the Cambodian state  telecommunications operator.

He said an agreement was already signed on Indonesia to import rice from Cambodia but the proposed  direct flight  and acquisition of the shares of  Cam GSM by Telkom still need further negotiations.

He said a number of Indonesian airlines including PT Sriwijaya Airlines  and Mandala Airlines have indicated interest in serving direct flights to Cambodia  targeting tourists.

The number of foreign tourists including from Indonesia is growing to Cambodia  and the increase has attracted a number of foreign  airlines to serve flights  to that country.

AirAsia, Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines, and ilk Air are among foreign airlines serving flights to Cambodia, but none from Indonesia, he said.

Trade minister Gita Wirjawan said in principle, the government agrees  on Indonesian airlines to expand operations to Cambodia , but it is not easy for Indonesian airlines to accept the request as they are short of aircraft.

The nation's flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has placed orders for many units of new aircraft but delivery is only one unit per month, Gita said.

Garuda Indonesia's president Emirsyach Satar has said the airline would strengthen its fleet to 105 aircraft this year  and to 194 units in 2015. This year Garuda is to receive 20 new units of aircraft to be used to serve domestic and regional flights.(*/T007)