S

tate-owned bus company Damri says it will expand service to eight additional commercial airports next year.

The new routes include service to Kuala Namu International Airport serving Medan, North Sumatra, after the airport opens in March; Sam Ratulangi Airport serving Manado, North Sulawesi; Supadio Airport serving Pontianak, West Kalimantan; Ngurah Rai International Airport serving Denpasar, Bali; Sepinggan Airport serving Balikpapan, East Kalimantan; Blimbing Airport serving Banyuwangi, East Java; Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport serving Malang, East Java; and Mutiara Airport serving Palu, Central Sulawesi.

“The number of buses at each airport will vary, from three buses to 15 buses, depending on demand from customers,” Damri corporate secretary Ali Umar said. “Kuala Namu is going to be the new airport [route] that operates the largest fleet, with 15 buses in the first phase, while Banyuwangi’s Blimbing Airport will operate only three buses.”

Damri plans to spend Rp 398.3 billion (US$41.02 million) to support its expansion plans in 2013 and will order more buses as demand increases, he said.

The company currently serves 13 airports, including the country’s main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten; Adi Sucipto Airport in Yogyakarta; Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java; and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang, South Sumatra.

“We are also going to open new routes from Soekarno-Hatta next year, connecting the airport to Cibubur and Depok. We will operate five to seven buses for each route beginning in April,” he said.

Meanwhile, the firm launched on Friday a luxury bus service between Jakarta and Lampung, across the Sunda Strait. The 10 buses currently serving the route are 21-passenger Mercedes Benz 1526 Euro 3 buses equipped with toilets, a pantry and free Internet access.

One-way tickets on the Jakarta-Lampung route cost Rp 165,000 ($17.16) each.

Damri will expand its luxury service to include a Bogor–Soekarno-Hatta International Airport route, as well as boost the number of buses on the Lampung route, next year.

Ali said that Damri would become the operator of three Transjakarta corridors next year: Corridor I (Kota–Blok M) Corridor VIII (Lebak Bulus–Harmoni) and Corridor XI (Bantargebang–Kampung Melayu).