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Jakarta to Make Air France’s Paris-Singapore Service
By March, Air France’s daily Paris-Singapore service will continue to Jakarta.
Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and as a member of the G-20, it is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. Its GDP grew over 6 per cent during the Global Financial Crisis and became a target for foreign investment and industry trade.
However, the limitations of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport encountered by Indonesian travellers forces them into Singapore Changi Airport as a transit hub. As the additional passengers in transit create a market to capitalize on, Air France has taken the European slowdown upon themselves to extend their services to Jakarta.
The Straits Times spoke with Air France commercial director Matthieu Tetaud: “As an airline, we would like to fly direct to all destinations but to do that, you need enough demand. When there isn’t, you look for a hub. The good thing about Changi is that when you land an aircraft here, you have many options for connections.”
The Singapore-Jakarta leg comes into play since Air France has replaced the A380 as its Paris-Singapore aircraft with the single-deck B777, reducing capacity by 200 seats. The French carrier will introduce the superjumbo to its Paris-Shanghai service.
Tetaud included in the same interview that Air France has “lost ground in the last few years to Asian and Middle Eastern carriers,” and as a result, the airline is determined to make high ranks again with improved service. In response, the airline has new seats on its B777 economy and premium economy cabin products.
