"The evaluation is inevitable. We plan to reduce the frequency of flights to Japan during the March-May 2011 period," Garuda Indonesia Marketing and Sales Director M Arif Wibowo said here on Sunday.
Compared to the same period last year, the national flag carrier saw a 10 percent drop in its load factor for its flights to Japan in March, he said.
"This is one of the impacts of the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan early March," he said.
He said Garuda would later use some of its planes flying to Japan to serve its routes to the Middle East, particularly Jakarta-Jeddah route.
"We hope that our income from flight routes to the Middle East will increase after May," he said.
Garuda Indonesia currently flies to Japan 24 times a week, consisting of seven flights from Jakarta to Tokyo, seven flights from Denpasar to Osaka, seven flights from Denpasar to Tokyo, and three flights from Denpasar to Nagoya.
Based on the results of evaluation made since the middle of March Jakarta-Tokyo and Denpasar-Tokyo flights will be combined into Jakarta-Denpasar-Tokyo flights seven times a week. Meanwhile, the frequency of its flights from Jakarta to Jedda will be increased to three times a day from twice a day.
"Garuda Airbus A330 which previously flew to Japan will be used to serve flight routes to the Middle East, particularly to Jeddah so three Garuda planes, namely two A330 and B747-400 will serve the route," he said.
The load factor of Garuda flights from and to Japan currently stands at 66 percent and from Jakarta to Jeddah more than 90 percent. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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