SilkAir launched its inaugural flight to Bandung, Indonesia, on Monday, October 11, 2011. Carrying 70 passengers, the inaugural MI 196 flight departed Singaporeโs Changi Airport at 1650 Singapore time and touched down at Bandungโs Husein Sastranegara Airport at 1624 Western Indonesia Time, after about an hour flight.
Other airlines flying international routes direct to Bandung are Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines from Malaysia. With more airlines making Bandung their direct port of call from overseas, this confirms the rising importance of Bandung as a truly attractive tourist destination.
Today, SilkAir serves three times a week direct flights between Singapore and Bandung. Available on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, the flights are operated with the A319 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class. But flight frequencies will be increased to five times weekly from October 30 on with flights operating on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
For detailed information on Silk Airโs flight schedule to Bandung, visit: http://www.silkair.com/ .
To mark the special occasion, customers on the inaugural flight out of Singapore were presented with a local delicacy from Bandung, the brownie kukus, or steamed brownies. From the other end, passengers traveling on the first flight out of Bandung received exclusively-produced SilkAir notebooks.
Bandung is SilkAirโs 9th destination in Indonesia and the 37th in the airlineโs network. The airlineโs other Indonesian destinations include Balikpapan, Lombok, Manado,Medan, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Solo and Surabaya.
Bandung itself has been chosen because Silk Air has considered the significant potentials of Bandung as both a business and a tourism city. โBandung is well-known for its cool relaxing climate, just as what we sensed as we landed here. Bandung is also famous as a shopping destination, and also for its golf courses and natural attractions such as Mount Tangkuban Perahu, that we have heard so much of,โ said Executive Officer of SilkAir, Marvin Tan, during a press conference in Bandung on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 as reported by mediaindonesia.com.
Meanwhile, the Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung reportedly plans to revitalize its air traffic control so it can operate for a full 24 hours. Currently, the airport only operates from 0600 to 1800 Western Indonesia time. โA cooperation to revitalize the Air Traffic Control is being conducted with PT Angkasa Pura to ensure a 24-hours operation,โ stated the Commander of the Husein Sastranegara Air Strip, Colonel Pnb Umar Sugeng, as reported by detik.com.