WINGS Air open MALANG-DENPASAR flight route

The Indonesia airline company, Wings Airs, a subsidiary of Lion Air is starting open their flight route service from Malang - Denpasar, as an answer for the market need for this on the tourist route of these two destinations.

Wings Air uses ATR 72-500 aircraft with a capacity of 72 seats, which is said to have equipped with modern cabin.

Andi Burhan, Wings Air general manager explained, the flight is seven days a week, departing from Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport, Malang at 14:25 with flight number IW 1841, and departed from the Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar at 14.00.
This ATR aircraft is a new aircraft purchased from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) manufacturer, which also manufactured turboprop-powered aircraft in France.

The number of aircraft would be ordered and will be operated by Wings Air is 30 aircrafts, has started operation since January 2010. "Up to February 2011 has been received and operates ten aircrafts, and five more planes is planning arrive until August 2011," said Andi Burhan.

The Malang-Denpasar route had been waiting since 2005, when the Civil Airport Abd Saleh Malang re-operated facilities that utilize the Air Force at Air Field Saleh Abd. "Malang always expect there is a direct route to and from Denpasar flight, as well as to and from Yogyakarta," said Head of Transportation Department of Malang Regency, Nasarudin Selian.

This is to confirm the Malang ambition along with it’s satellite city Kota Batu and Malang regency to assert its identity as a city or region of national and international tourist destination, besides Yogyakarta and Denpasar.

"We always hope that overseas tourists will travel  the Malang - Denpasar flight route, before entering Yogyakarta city, after entering Indonesia through the door of Denpasar. Similarly, on the contrary, from Yogyakarta or Jakarta to Denpasar via Malang," said Nasarudin.

picture: google.com

WINGS Air purchase 15 units of ATR 72-500

Wings Air confirmed to purchase 15 units of ATR 72-500 which came from the aircraft manufacturer Turboprop An Alenia Aeronotica and EADS joint venture. Purchasing of 15 aircraft is a continuation from the year 2009 where Wings Air ordered 30 units of ATR aircraft consists of 15 units is a definite purchase and 15 units is the additional purchase option.

"We are consolidating a partnership with Lion Air and Wings Air, and we are pleased to witness the success of one of the leading company in Southeast Asia," says CEO ATR Filipo Bagnato.

Wings Air hopes, this year the aircraft will be received and operated to reach 15 units. With this addition, Wings Air become the the largest company which use ATR 72-500 aircraft in Southeast Asia.

During this time, Wings Air is using this type of aircraft to fly routes such as Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi and neighboring countries. This aircraft type is suitable to serve routes in remote areas as well as a feeder for the airline Lion Air.

Wings Airs first time operating ATR 72 aircraft in Indonesia in January 2010 and until February 2011 there have been about 10 aircrafts. It is expected that five more aircrafts will gradually be received until August 2011.

Lion Air President Director who is also Commissioner of Wings Air, Rusdi Kirana said the increase in the number of ATR fleet is expected to contribute to national economic growth.

"ATR aircraft became very popular in Indonesia because they play a key role in business development and tourism, as well as linking the islands of Indonesia," he concluded.

picture: google.com

Wings Air and Lion Air operate 5 new routes

The airline company Lion Air and Wings Air will operating five new routes to Bali, Nusa Tenggara, and Kalimantan began earlier this month.

According to General Director of Lion Air, Edward Sirait, Wings Air is to operate four new routes, Semarang - Denpasar, Denpasar - Mataram, Denpasar - Tambolaka, and Denpasar-Bima. While the Lion Air, will add one new route, Surabaya - Palangkaraya. Wings Air will use the new aircraft ATR72-500 (propeller) with a capacity of about 72 seats for this five new routes. Meanwhile, Lion Air flights to Palangkaraya for time being served with Boeing 737-400 jets.

"The route Semarang – Denpasar and Denpasar - Mataram served by Wings Air started operating since September 6, 2010. The route was flown twice in one day," Edward Sirait said. The route Denpasar - Tambolaka served four times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. While the Wings Air route from Denpasar to Bima served three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Lion Air's new route from Surabaya to Palangkaraya done once a day, starting Tuesday (Sept 7, 2010). Semarang - Denpasar flight was operated by the transit in Surabaya before, will be increased flight frequency of once daily.

"Lion Air and Wings Air in synergy continues to develop services for the domestic flight and international operations. But for now the market development will concentrate on domestic flights to meet the domestic air transportation market which is still quite large in the entire archipelago," said Edward.

In addition to increasing revenue and expanding markets, development of flight operations into the eastern region of Indonesia such as Bali, Sulawesi Tenggara, and Kalimantan, he said, was intended as an effort to encourage economic growth in the region. In addition, with the opening of new routes, it is expected the tourism sector in these areas will continue to rise.

Edward predicted, the load factor or the level of passenger plane filled five new routes will reach 90% with passengers from all segments of the target. Development of flight operating new routes are also planned with the addition of the frequency of flights to increase the capacity of the aircraft. That, he said, made possible because of the increasing new fleet of jet and propeller both owned airlines.

Wings Air use two new fleets as a feeder to Lion Air flight

Two new fleets of ATR 72-500 owned by Wings Air will be operated on short flight routes in Sumatra. This short route will use as a feeder aircraft to Lion Air flight. These two aircrafts with a registration of PK-WFI and PK-WFJ as to complete the total number of aircraft to as many as five units.

"The operation of this short route will continue Lion Air flight schedules which designed to connect to each other," said General Director of Lion Air, Edward Sirait.

Wings Air will fly four new routes in Sumatra with two ATR 72-500. The flight routes are Medan – Gunung Sitoli, Medan - Sibolga, Medan - Meulaboh and Medan - Lhokseumawe. The flight route Medan – Gunung Sitoli with the flight number IW 1260 will operate twice daily. Medan - Sibolga operated once a day with flight number IW 1254, Medan - Meulaboh operate once a day with the flight number IW 1252, while Medan - Lhokseumawe will operate once a day with the flight number IW 1250.

If the 15 of ATR 72-500 aircraft from a total of 30 aircraft which will be brought in gradually until 2012 it has prepared, it will planned to operate for short flight routes in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, and islands of eastern Indonesia. The aircraft was able to fly nonstop four hours and landed on the short runway. "We have already operated three ATR 72-500 aircraft to fly routes in eastern Indonesia," Edward Sirait said.

In 2009, Wings Air had ordered 30 ATR 72 aircraft consisting of 15 units of ATR 72-500 scheduled for sure, while the remaining 15 ATR 72-600 into additional options. The aircrafts will receive in phase until 2012. The arrival of two ATR 72-500 aircraft with 72 seats in April 2010 had increased the number of aircraft operated by Wings Air into 14 units consisting of five ATR72-500, 6 of MD-80, and 3 of DHC8-300. "The use of these new aircraft to target regional markets of the western part of Indonesia," he said.

April 2010, Wings Air open Surabaya-Pontianak route

Starting April 2010, the airline company Wings Air will open a route Surabaya to Pontianak (return). The opening of the flight route Surabaya-Pontianak is to strengthen the routes in the central region of Indonesia.

"The target of this new route will be worked out after a new fleet of ATR 72-500 aircraft with a capacity of 72 passengers have arrived and are ready to operate next month," said General Director of Wings Air, Edward Sirait. He said, opening the route Surabaya to Pontianak is the first time explored by Wings Air in West Kalimantan region. In addition, the route has considerable potential that few other airlines also opened the same route.

"This route is actually pretty good market, but do not use the big planes," Edward Sirait said. He added, by not using large aircraft so indirectly it can cost down of the avtur. In addition, the use of middle size aircraft (capacity 72 passengers) is very effective in capturing passengers Pontianak.

Previously, Wings Air has also been targeting the short routes because of high market share, such as Yogyakarta-Bandung (return), Surabaya-Yogyakarta (return), and Surabaya-Semarang (return). In the future, Wings Air also has plan to open another route in Sumatra, such as Medan, Palembang, and Padang.

Wings Air starting a new flight Bandung - Yogyakarta

The airline company - Wings Air - will open a new flight route Bandung - Yogyakarta starting February 19, 2010. "Market share Bandung-Yogyakarta flights high enough, Wings Air will serve the route that began Friday (19/2/2010) later," said General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura II Husein Sastranegara Bandung Airport, Mulya Abdi. Short flights route between the two cities will use the ATR 72-500 aircraft with a capacity of 70 passengers. Flights conducted every day round trip (return).

Schedule flights from Husein Sastranegara Airport, the city of Bandung was around 13:00 pm. The presence of the new flight, is to fill flight schedule vacancies on the Airport Husein. "We have vacancies flight for five hours at the airport Hussein, so the Bandung-Yogyakarta flights that will fill it," said Mulya Abdi. Currently Husein Sastranegara Airport serves nine flights of five domestic airlines namely Bandung-Batam, Bandung-Medan, Bandung-Surabaya and four international flights ie Bandung-Kuala Lumpur and Bandung-Singapore.

Airlines company which serving flights from the airport Husein Sastranegara is AirAsia, Merpati Nusantara Airlines and Sriwijaya Air. While Wings Air will be the fourth airline to serve passengers from the airport.

Merpati Airlines also plan to reopen the route Jakarta-Bandung-Semarang. "The potential passengers from Bandung trend continues to increase and potential. So the flight schedule is expected to fill in Bandung and more effective," said Operations Manager of PT Angkasa Pura II Husein Sastranegara Airport, Soetrisno. He said, the potential for international flights from the airport Hussein Satranegara continued to increase. Average passengers approximately 1,500 people per day, with about 80 percent occupancy. The same for domestic flights that had been served by Sriwijaya Air and Merpati Nusantara Airlines.

Meanwhile, the opening of new international routes are also increasingly open too, as the thickening of the plan Bandung Husein Satranegara Airport runway that will be done in March 2010. With the thickening of the runway, allowing aircraft like the Airbus 320 can land at the airport. During this flight route from Jakarta is served by a Boeing 737-200.

Wings Air Open New Route to Eastern Indonesia

The airline company, Wings Air, which is affiliated with Lion Air, in early 2010 has added three new ATR 72-500 aircraft which operate officially opened by Minister of Transportation, Freddy Numberi.

"The support of international banks to finance the procurement of ATR 72-500 aircraft is an international confidence picture of Indonesia about investment in this country," said President Director of PT Lion Air Rusdi Kirana, in Jakarta.

Along with that, starting in January 2010, Wings Air also opened two new routes in eastern Indonesia region which will be operated by new ATR 72-500 aircraft capacity of 72 seats. The new route is the Ambon-Manokwari (return) and Manado-Melangguane (return).

New route Ambon-Manokwari planned to be operational starting on January 20, 2010 every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with the frequency of flights twice a day. While new routes Melangguane Manado starting on January 22, 2010 every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with a frequency of twice-daily flights.

In addition, the new ATR 72-500 aircraft will also increase frequency of flights serving on several other routes, such as the Fakfak, Sorong, Ternate, Kaimana, Nabire, Jayapura, and Ambon.

The opening of new routes and increase flight frequencies Wings Air routes are already there by using the new aircraft is intended to improve the services, especially the comfort and security of aviation, in addition to developing Wings Air markets and market share in the region of eastern Indonesia.