Bali News

Tourism community supported and appreciated a new breakthrough of Garuda Indonesia by introducing immigration service on their aircraft. Whilst at the moment, the service is available only on aircraft serving Tokyo-Denpasar route, the breakthrough is believed to bring positive impact into the image of Bali tourism services. On board immigration service is expected to be made available on other international routes and followed by other airliners serving international routes.

The opinion was expressed by I Gusti Kade Sutawa, the chairman of Kuta Executive Club, an informal association of general manager of hotels in Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak area. “The breakthrough introduced by Garuda Indonesia deserves a thumb up. Efforts to improve services for better comfort of tourists are at our utmost interest. We have been hearing a lot of complains from tourists who were forced to spend hours in immigration queue just to get their visa on arrival, regardless some of them, such as those coming from Europe, have just had exhaustive long haul flight”, he said.

As previously reported, Denpasar Branch of Garuda Indonesia has just announce a new Immigration on Board service in their Tokyo-Denpasar flight. GM of Garuda Indonesia Denpasar, Bagus Siregar, explained that through the service, visitors travelling from Tokyo to Denpasar on Garuda Indonesia are no longer required to enter immigration queue at Ngurah Rai International Airport. All immigration clearance will be completed on board, before landing. The service will become available starting at September 15th 2009.

On behalf of his 30 fellows GM of hotels in Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak, Sutawa hoped that efforts taken by Garuda Indonesia, and decision of PT Angkasa Pura I, the airport authority of Bali, to expand the airport, will inspire other stakeholders involved in providing services at the airport. From year to another, immigration and customs have been continuously complained for inferior services, especially immigration which in addition to severe conduct of services has proven to steal 3 billion out of VoA fee. “They have to immediately realize their mistakes and stop destroying the image if Bali”, he advised.