Garuda to ease access to Lake Toba from Singapore

TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS - National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is set to offer a new route from Silangit Airport in North Sumatra to Singapore starting Oct. 28, marking the former's official operation as an international airport.

Scheduled to be available three times per week using a Bombardier CRJ 1000 aircraft that can accommodate 96 passengers, the move aims to ease access for foreign tourists to Lake Toba, one of Indonesia's most highlighted destinations.

"Hopefully this plan can help increase connectivity between Silangit and its surrounding areas, as well as Garuda Indonesia's contribution to the region's tourism and local economy," said the airline's president director Pahala N. Mansury in a press release on Oct. 18.

Singapore reportedly welcomes more than 15 million foreign tourists every year. Earlier this year, Garuda Indonesia launched a direct daily flight from Jakarta to Silangit using Bombardier CRJ 1000.