"In 2010 Indonesia was the largest market for Changi airport with five million passengers, 26 pct," he said in a dinner welcoming the South Sulawesi government group and Garuda Indonesia at Crowne Plaza.
While 2.3 million Indonesians visited Singapore last year with a growth of 32 pct.
The growth, he said, continued. In the first quarter of 2011, Indonesians were again most of the visitors with a growth of up to 1.9 million passengers, or 20 pct.
"Makassar-Singapore direct flights have been very important in the relations between the two countries," he said.
Especially as Makassar had been declared as the main point of Indonesian flights which will make Singapore closer to the islands of Sulawesi, Ambon and Papua, and at the same time a very potential passenger market of up to 25 million people.
The Makassar-Singapore route will provide a new market opportunity especially for businessmen and tourists.
With regard to the flights of Garuda Indonesia, the Changi international airport noted that in the first quarter Garuda had flown 230 thousand Indonesians, a growth of 66 pct per year with 126 flights per week.
He added that Indonesia is also Singapore`s fifth biggest partner in trade with a transaction of 55 million US dollars or a growth of 16 pct in 2010 compared to that in 2009. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
