Govt to introduce electronic airplane tickets

Medan, N Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Transportation Ministry said the government will soon introduce electronic air tickets (e-tickets) to airline companies.

"In fact, all airline companies would eventually apply the electronic air ticketing system, which would reduce profiteering practices," Head of the Air Transportation Service Division Chief at the Air Transportation Directorate General Soedarmadji told Antara here on Friday.

He said that the ruling which is a must for airline companies was specified in the revised transporation ministrial decree No 81, 2004 on air transporters management. 

According to him, the revised regulation was approved by the Air Tranportation Director General and now it was only a matter of time before the transportation minister gives a green light. 

"So at present, the electronic ticket system is already specified in a concept, and awaiting a signature of the minister," he said.

In addition to the introduction of the e-tickets, the government also set the mininum number of aircraft an airline company is required to have. 

"A new airline company wishing to fly to destinations in Indonesia should have at least five aircraft, but an old airline company will have two years to meet the requirement," Soedarmadji said. 

An electronic ticket is obtained through a website or by telephone. 

This form of airline ticket quickly replaced the old paper tickets (from close to zero to 100% in about 10 years) and became mandatory for IATA members as of June 1, 2008. In the previous years, with the paper tickets, airlines frequently charged an extra for issuing them. E-tickets are also available for certain entertainment venues.

Once a reservation is made, an e-ticket is valied only as a digital record in the airline company`s computers. Customers usually print out a copy of their receipt which contains the record locator or reservation number and the e-ticket number.

Electronic tickets are introduced in road, urban or rail public transport too. For example, in February 2007 the Czech bus reservation system AMSBUS introduced the e-jizdenka for several bus routes.

Air force confirms location of missing aircraft

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/27/2008 5:46 PM

The Air Force deputy chief of staff Vice Marshal I Gusti Made Oka confirmed Friday that the location of a missing aircraft had been found although rescue workers had yet to reach the area.

"The location is at a deep gorge as reported by some residents," he told Metro TV station.

Residents have reported that they have seen ruins of the ill- fated NC-212-200 light transport airplane at Tegal Lilin hamlet of Pasir Gaok village in Tenjolaya district.

He added that his pilots cannot land near the location as the weather was bad and the terrain was difficult.

However, he said, all the victims would be evacuated as soon as possible as the Air Force had prepared a makeshift helipad near the location.

Oka said he cannot confirmed whether all people onboard were dead.

"We are not sure of that yet although villagers said they saw bodies scattered around the airplane. Let's hope there is a miracle," he said.

The airplane was conducting an aerial surveillance training mission when it lost contact at about 10:23 a.m. The aircraft tail registration number is A-2106.

The airplane is manned by 5 crew member and carrying 13 passengers. Seven of them are officers from air force' aerial mapping and surveillance agency.

Six other passengers are civilians, including three foreigners, from a firm supplying a digital mapping. The foreigners were instructors in the training mission. (nvn)

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Passengers can demand compensation for flight delays

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/20/2008 10:33 AM

With the signing of a new decree from the transportation minister, airline passengers can now demand compensation for delayed flights.

The Transportation Ministry's director general for air transportation Budhi Mulyawan Suyitno said the regulation, which revises a 2004 regulation, was aimed at disciplining airlines to meet their schedules.

"The minister signed the regulation last week, and we have asked the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) to introduce it to airline companies," Budhi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

With the new regulation, "Airlines will no longer mistreat their passengers. They won't promise something to passengers if they cannot deliver," Budhi said.

The new regulation says that for a 30 to 90-minute delay, an airline must provide refreshments for passengers, and for a 90 to 180-minute delay, they must additionally provide main courses and find alternate flights for passengers.

For delays of more than 180 minutes, "Airlines should find alternate flights, and if they fail to do that, they must provide passengers with accommodation," Budhi said.

The regulation, however, is toothless as it does not provide any sanction for violations.

Budhi said that all delays and failures to provide compensation would be recorded and affect the airlines' quarterly assessment by the ministry.

"Bad reports will make it difficult for them to register for extra flights, for example," Budhi said.

Budhi said that national carriers had gained bad reputations due to their inability to stick to schedules.

"This regulation will discipline them, telling them that if they can't operate well, then don't enter this industry," he said.

Garuda spokesman Ikhsan Rosaan said that providing compensation to passengers was nothing new to the state-owned airline company.

"We already have a similar policy on compensation for delayed flights. For example, for a delay of more than two hours, we provide refreshments and lunch for passengers," Ikhsan said.

Moreover, "We don't see it as a regulation, but part of our services to passengers," he said, adding that Garuda had appointed insurance firm PT Asuransi Jasa Indonesia (Jasindo) to deal with customers' rights, including compensations for flight delays.

Mandala Airlines head of corporate communications Trisia Megawati said, "We have our own internal regulations that more than cover the regulations". (dia)

Yudhoyono leads Cabinet in bike-to-work promotion

Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 06/21/2008 12:21 PM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono rode a bicycle around the Merdeka Palace and the neighboring National Monument (Monas) on Friday in a bid to draw attention to a healthier lifestyle and less air pollution.

Riding a blue tandem bicycle with First Lady Kristiani Herawati (left), the President arrived at Monas at 7 a.m and awaited the arrival of cyclists from the Bike to Work community.

Yudhoyono was accompanied by several cabinet ministers, including State Minister for Youth and Sports Adhyaksa Dault, State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar, State Minister for Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman and Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal.

Also joining the presidential entourage were Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, State Secretary Hatta Radjasa and Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi.

After hundreds of cyclists had arrived at Monas, Yudhoyono led them back to the State Palace for an informal gathering, where food carts and a buffet had been set up.

"I invite everyone to try riding a bicycle to work. We can benefit much from this activity, apart from keeping healthy and having fun," Yudhoyono told the cyclists.

"We can save more fuel, especially now, what with skyrocketing fuel prices. And we can also preserve the environment by reducing pollution."

Toto Sugito, head of the Bike to Work community, presented Yudhoyono with a picture of a gas station in which the petrol pumps had been replaced by water dispensers.

He expressed his appreciation of the President's support for the group's cause and called on the government to seriously consider building bicycle lanes.

IATA to buy new helicopters

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 06/20/2008 10:33 AM 

JAKARTA: Publicly listed charter airline PT Indonesia Air Transport (IATA) will buy another three new helicopters worth more than US$30 million in response to higher demand from foreign companies.

"We will use external cash to finance the purchase, which will be ordered from Europe," said president director Hartono Tanoesoedibjo at a press conference Thursday. He said the firm might issue bonds or seek loans from local and foreign banks.

IATA currently operates six helicopters and 10 airplanes for its flight charter business.

It has recently secured a one-year contract charter from mining firm PT INCO worth $3.6 million to fly from Soroako, Papua to Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi.

The company is scheduled to operate regular flights starting in the fourth quarter of this year after securing an operating license from the Transportation Ministry.

Hartono said the airline would initially serve areas mostly in eastern Indonesia, including Bali, Balikpapan and Manado. -- JP (rff)

Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines start sharing journeys

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 06/21/2008 12:22 PM

Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed an agreement under which the carriers will benefit from joint marketing and promotion, code sharing and special rate agreements.

The memorandum of understanding was signed Friday in Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia president and chief executive officer Emirsyah Satar and SIA chief executive officer Chew Choon Seng.

"The industry has become more competitive and the increasing fuel price has put extra pressure on us, so we have to cooperate to increase efficiency and service (quality)," Emirsyah said in the press conference.

The airlines will begin the code sharing with an additional daily flight between Denpasar and Singapore starting August 2.

Initially, SIA will assume the role of operator by providing the flight, while Garuda will act as marketer and sell the seats. In the future, the companies will share the services.

"(The new flight) will increase our capacity, so our passengers from Saigon or Beijing can go directly to Bali from Singapore. The new schedule is also an improvement," Garuda Indonesia commercial director Agus Priyanto said.

Currently, Garuda operates 11 flights per week for the Denpasar-Singapore route, while SIA operates eight per week.

Garuda will also benefit from a special arrangement on ticket rates referred to as the special prorate agreement (SPA) for flights between Indonesia and Singapore that continue to Europe, China, India, Japan, the U.S. or Southeast Asia.

SIA is similarly entitled to the SPA for flights between Singapore and Indonesia that continue to Australia or north Asia.

SIA's Chew said he was especially pleased to be able to tap into Indonesia's tourist destination routes.

The two company chiefs said air traffic between the countries remained high.

Chew said air traffic from Asia, the EU, Australia and New Zealand remained busy, but that trans-Atlantic flights to the U.S. had seen a huge reduction in tourist travelers.

"Instead of traveling across the Atlantic, people travel regionally. We have seen more travelers from Japan and Australia," Agus of Garuda said.

Garuda recorded a 7 percent increase in passengers in this year's first quarter compared to in the same period last year.

Agus said Garuda was currently experiencing a load factor of 85 percent of capacity, and that the airline was preparing an additional 70,000 seats for the holiday season, 40 percent of which will be designated for regional travelers.

Having received two new airplanes in the last two months, Garuda plans to add one extra trip to its existing five flights per week to Sydney and one to its three flights per week to Melbourne. The agreements and pricings will be reviewed seasonally in March and October.(mri)

Honda to mass produce and lease FCX Clarity fuel-cell car

June 16th, 2008 by Peter, Product Reviews 

Honda have announced that they are to mass produce their FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, they hope to be able to do this within the next ten years. Honda, who are Japans second largest automaker after Toyota, are looking for ways to meet public demand for more fuel efficient car models, and they might just have the answer with the Honda FCX Clarity.

Honda President Takeo Fukui, has said “If we can bring costs down by a certain amount, I think we can start mass-production.” Honda have now started production of these more environmentally friendly cars today, and hope to be able to lease at least 200 of these FCX Clarity’s vehicles in the US and Japan over the next three years. Honda already have five customers for these new vehicles in the US.

According to Bloomberg, the Honda FCX Clarity will be available in California, US, in the beginning of July as they already have plans for a range of hydrogen fueling stations across the state. This new Honda has a top speed of 105 miles per hours, which is more than fast enough, well we are not meant to drive that fast anyway. 

Honda along with a number of other major automakers are now adding a number of new low-pollution models to their car range, like fuel-cell and gasoline-electric hybrids. These hybrids had a slow start as the public did not know much about this new kind of technology. However; as the price of oil is increasing almost every day, hybrid cars is a technology that is growing fast and this technology will only get better.

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