GARUDA HELPS IMPROVE RI-DUBAI ECONOMIC COOPERATION

GARUDA HELPS IMPROVE RI-DUBAI ECONOMIC COOPERATION

London, May 31 (ANTARA) - The reentry of flag carrier Garuda Indonesia into Europe via Dubai is expected to help improve economic and trade cooperation between Indonesia and Dubai.

Indonesian Consul General in Dubai, Mansyur Pangeran told Antara here on Monday that Garuda would help improve the cooperation of business makers as well as exports and imports between the two countries.

Mansyur said the reentry of Garuda aircraft into Europe via Dubai, a major city in the United Arab Emirates, would be a good momentum to make the city a hub of important global economic activities at present and in the future.

Dubbed "The Fastest Growing City on Earth," Dubai has been the center of business, finance, investment, and trade in the Middle East.

With its population of more than 1.8 million people including Indonesian migrant workers, Dubai will be a potential market of Garuda, Mansyur said.

He added that all Indonesians in Dubai positively welcomed the reentry of Garuda aircraft into Europe via Dubai which is planned to start on Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Therefore, Mansyur said the Indonesian Embassy in Dubai would continue to promote and introduce Garuda to business players in the city.

In addition, the Indonesian community in Dubai and its vicinity will be encouraged to fly Garuda.

Garuda Indonesia jetliner Airbus A330-200 with the flight number GA-088 will fly over the Jakarta-Dubai-Amsterdam route everyday starting from June 1, 2010 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, senior General Manager for Asia, Europe and the Middle East Iswandi Said stated that preparations had already been made several months ago including the opening of a Garuda Indonesia office at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, last January manned by 14 employees including five station managers, three ticketing and reservation personnel, and four staff members.

Sixty percent of the seating capacity of the Amsterdam-Jakarta flight in June had been booked, and for July, 89 percent of the seats had been booked.

The flights from both points (Netherlands and Indonesia) will conduct a technical a stop over in Dubai for an hour for refuelling and the boarding of passengers from Dubai under Garuda's 5th freedom flying rights for taking passengers in Dubai.


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(T.SYS/A/O001/A/O001) 31-05-2010 11:42:03