Garuda and Vietnam Airlines Sign MoU to Boost Strategic Cooperation
Jakarta. Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and Vietnam Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen strategic cooperation in service supplies, maintenance, repair and overhauls to aircraft, cargo handling and increase codeshare flights.
In a statement released on Wednesday (23/08), Garuda said the agreement was signed as part of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to Indonesia after being invited by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
"The partnership with Vietnam Airlines will expand our aviation network in Southeast Asia. Vietnam is a valuable market for Indonesia and through this partnership, we can offer more travel options between Indonesia and Vietnam," said Pahala N. Mansury, Garuda's president director.
"The agreement is also expected to increase trade and tourism by easing the access for Vietnamese tourists visiting Indonesia."
The two flag carriers agreed to expand their previous deals in codeshare flights connecting Bali with Jakarta, Bali with Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City with Singapore, Singapore with Jakarta and Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh City.
"Aside from those routes, we will also be looking to develop another route in different cities in Indonesia like Denpasar [Bali] or Surabaya [East Java] with Vietnam Airlines," added Pahala.
Pahala said Garuda and Vietnam Airlines have had a partnership since 2005, when both airlines agreed to cooperate on operating a route serving Saigon and Jakarta.
Vietnam Airline's president and chief executive Duong Tri Thanh was quoted in the statement as saying that he expects a stronger cooperation will improve the quality of international flight services of both airlines.
Thanh added that both carriers will expect to double or triple their number of passengers.
Vietnam Airlines currently operates only seven flights per week in the country, though Thanh said he hopes to double or triple that number.
According to the Central Statistic Agency (BPS), the number of foreign passengers traveling to Indonesia increased by 8.16 percent to 13.66 million passengers last year.
Tags: Keywords: