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Singapore. The skies between Singapore and Jakarta are getting crowded as airlines increase flights to meet growing demand for seats on the route.

Fueled by strong business and social links between the two countries, the Singapore-Jakarta sector has overtaken Singapore-Kuala Lumpur as Changi Airport's No. 1 air link based on the number of flights.

There are now 13 carriers operating about 500 flights a week between Singapore and the Indonesian capital, compared with eight airlines and about 440 flights for Singapore-KL.

'Indonesia is a major market for us, and Singapore-Jakarta is one of our strongest routes that has seen significant growth over the years.'

Singapore Airlines spokesman Nicholas Ionides

The growth is expected to continue with Singapore Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Tiger Airways, Valuair and Jetstar Airways planning even more Singapore-Jakarta services by the end of December.

In the first half of the year, 1.93 million passengers flew on this route, a 20 per cent jump compared with the same period last year.

There is a good mix of business and leisure traffic on the route, say the carriers that ply the sector.

A growing number of Indonesian travellers are also using Changi Airport as a hub to connect to other destinations.

In Singapore, travelers can choose from 71 foreign carriers that connect the airport to 154 international destinations, compared with 31 airlines and 33 city links at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Data compiled by the Trade and Industry Ministry shows strong growth in both business and leisure links.

Last year, Singapore-Indonesia trade hit close to $68 billion, compared with $58.5 billion in 2009.

Singapore is also Indonesia's top source of foreign direct investment, totaling US$4.4 billion (S$5.3 billion) in 2009 and US$5 billion last year.

On the leisure side, Indonesia is Singapore's top tourist market, with 2.31 million arrivals last year.

The overall boom in traffic is good news for airlines.

Garuda added an eighth daily flight on the route last week. The Jakarta-Singapore sector is the airline's busiest outside Indonesia, said its senior general manager in Asia, Risnandi.

He said: 'It is also our fastest-growing route. Passenger traffic grew more than three times in the last six months compared with the same period in 2010.'

To capture the high-end premium market, Garuda is using an all-new Boeing fleet on the route, he said.

Not to be outdone, SIA will also operate eight flights a day, adding another service next month.

Spokesman Nicholas Ionides said: 'Indonesia is a major market for us and Singapore-Jakarta is one of our strongest routes that has seen significant growth over the years.

'This could be due to promising economic growth and development in both countries in recent years.'

The boost in flight numbers and competition on the route has benefited travelers who now enjoy more options and lower fares.

Andrew Zhou, 40, a Singapore- based vice-president of an American manufacturing company, is especially pleased that Garuda has improved its level of service.

He said: 'Previously I flew mainly SIA, but now that Garuda offers a much better product and service level than it did before, there is another good option.'

Like other business travelers, he appreciates the more frequent flights.

Zhou, who travels at least once a month to Jakarta, said: 'When you are on a business trip, you want to maximize your time, so I usually catch the early morning flight out of Singapore and leave on the late flight which departs from Jakarta at about 9pm.

'For a business traveler, flight frequency and timing are most important.'




Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.