TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will reopen the Jakarta-Nagoya flight beginning March 23 next year, after the state-owned airlines closed the route several years earlier.

"The opening of the route again is part of the network expansion commitment of Garuda Indonesia," Garuda Indonesia President Director Ari Askhara said in a written press statement on Tuesday.

He said that network expansion was being done through flight capacity development and fleet utilization on prospective flight routes.

The Jakarta-Nagoya route will be served four times a week vice versa on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Garuda will operate Airbus A330 dual class planes, consisting of economy and business classes.

"The service for this route is part of the positive step taken by Garuda in maintaining market ceiling in its Japan-Indonesia service," he said.

Moreover, Japan-Indonesia routes continue to grow and promising where the number of Japanese tourist arrivals in Indonesia continue to increase significantly, especially in Jakarta which is the country`s biggest economic center.

Nagoya, which is the capital of Aichi Prefecture is a very potential market for Garuda Indonesia, especially tourism businesses and passengers.

"We hope that the opening of direct flight routes will further strengthen good relations between the two countries, especially in improving economic, trade and tourism relations between the two countries", Ari Askharasaid

In addition, Aichi Prefecture is known as one of the busiest industrial and manufacturing cities in Japan.

"We are optimistic that the opening of direct services for Jakarta - Nagoya can support efforts to accelerate the pace of the business climate and economic potential between the two countries," he said.

Japan is one of the most important market shares for Garuda Indonesia. For more than 50 years, Garuda Indonesia has shown its support for strong bilateral relations between Indonesia and Japan.

With the opening of this service, passengers are expected to to enjoy more choices of flights and destinations to Japan and Indonesia and vice versa.

ANTARA