TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Garuda Indonesia opened a special cargo flight service connecting Manado in North Sulawesi and Narita in Japan. The flight was claimed to strengthen the competitiveness of marine export commodities.

“This is our initiative with North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey to increase the competitiveness of the province’s marine and agricultural products through the development of air cargo connectivity as the largest fresh tuna producing region in Indonesia,” said Garuda CEO Irfan Setiaputra in a written statement on Thursday, September 24, 2020.

The new operation kicked off on Wednesday, September 23, and would be available once a week using Airbus 330-200 with a carrying capacity of up to 35 tons.

Apart from linking Manado and Narita, the flight would directly connect a number of cities, such as Jakarta, Makassar, and Ambon. Irfan hoped that the cargo service would shorten the delivery time of marine goods.

Thus, the quality and freshness of the product could be better maintained under competitive logistics costs. “[With the new service, export commodity prices can be more competitive in the global market,” he added.

Irfan mentioned that for the early operation, Garuda Indonesia targeted Japan for it was known as the biggest importer of Indonesia's marine commodities. The airline would later develop the accessibility of its cargo flight network to various potential countries, such as China and Hong Kong.

Read also: Garuda Indonesia Offers Flight Ticket Promotion to Bali, Labuan Bajo

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA