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Garuda Indonesia opens quicker route to Lake Toba
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Lake Toba scenery from the highlands. With the opening of Garuda Indonesia's new route on Tuesday, domestic and foreign tourists will be able to travel more easily to visit North Sumatra's iconic resort area.
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Garuda Indonesia Bombardier CRJ-1000 landed at Silangit Airport in North Tapanuli regency at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Carrying 96 passengers from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, the flight marks the national flag carrier's first official operation from Jakarta to the Lake Toba resort area.
The all-economy class aircraft is part of Garuda’s special fleet that serves routes to airports with runways too small for regular passenger jets.
With the opening of the new route, domestic as well as foreign tourists will be able to travel more easily to the province's iconic resort area, acting North Sumatra governor Tengku Erry Nuradi told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.
Visitors usually travel by land from Medan to the lake, which takes four to five hours. Now they can opt to fly there from Jakarta. Flights are scheduled three times a week and depart at 6:30 a.m. and arrive at 8:35 a.m.
Erry said he was hopeful that the new route would help increase the number of visitors to Lake Toba.
"Currently, North Sumatra province is preparing a certificate to be given to tourists visiting the lake and each of them will be recorded based on their registration number," said Erry, adding that the certificate would be launched during Lake Toba resort area's inauguration ceremony by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
Previously, Garuda president director Arif Wibowo said the new route was part of the company’s expansion and investment plan in support of local economic growth around Lake Toba as well as North Sumatra province.
He also said the new route would initially transit in Pinangsori in Sibolga, North Sumatra, and airfares would range from Rp 1 million (US$98.08) to Rp 1.3 million. (kes)
