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The Indonesia Air Carriers Association forecasts the
number of air travelers in Indonesia to grow 13 percent next year amid
strong consumer spending.
Tengku Burhanudin, secretary general
of the organization known as Inaca, said on Thursday that growth in air
travel typically doubles the pace of overall economic growth.
“So
if the economy is forecast to grow by 6 percent or 6.5 percent next
year, then air travel should grow by 12 percent or 13 percent,’’ Tengku
said.
The number of domestic air passengers in Indonesia jumped
to 38.3 million in the first nine months of this year, while the number
of international air travellers rose 15 percent to 8.1 million. This
lifted the total number of air travellers to 46.4 million in the period,
Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data shows.
Tengku said up to
60 million trips could be taken next year, and the number will continue
to increase. Citing data from government sources, Tengku said a growing
Indonesian middle class is poised to take to the air with its newfound
disposable income.
“Air travel is now affordable to many Indonesians and demand is high,” Tengku said.
But
he acknowledged that air travel was not likely to grow as it did in
2010, an especially big year. The number of air passengers rose 22
percent to 53 million people last year from a year earlier.
Lion
Air, which inked a massive $21.7 billion jet deal with Boeing last
month, expects to carry 27 million passengers this year, an increase of
30 percent. It forecasts growth of 15 percent a year as the fleet
expands, Lion Air president director Rusdi Kirana has said.
The
airline, founded in 1999, currently operates 67 aircraft on 226 flights
daily to about 35 cities, including services to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,
Penang (in Malaysia) and Ho Chi Minh City.
Citilink, the budget
arm of state-run Garuda Indonesia, aims to carry 3 million passengers
this year, 50 percent more than 2010.
Industry analysts in
Jakarta said the increase in air travellers would not only boost
economic growth, but would also help narrow distances for business and
tourism alike in a nation of more than 17,000 islands.
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/air-travel-to-grow-by-13-next-year-industry-says/483569
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