Lion Air likely to come roaring back, says trade

INDONESIA'S travel consultants expect the Lion Air crash to have only a short-term dent on the airline's bookings, predicting that the LCC will bounce back quickly due to its affordable fares and extensive route network.

Batik Holidays Bandung managing director, Maktal Hadiyat, said: “Travellers always ask for Lion Air first when they want to buy a ticket because of its low prices and new aircraft. It is true that there have been a few accidents, but people tend to forget after a while.”

Pauline Suharno, Jakarta director, Elok Tour, said: “We do see some people turning to other LCCs following the accident, but I think it may only take a couple of weeks for them to go back to their earlier preferences.

“People tend to think that after an accident, the airline would improve its safety measures, so they would continue to (book the carrier). Moreover, there was no casualty in the recent incident.”

The airline is also known to have the best domestic network and frequencies compared to other LCCs in the country, Suharno pointed out.

Incito Tour Makassar managing director, Sebastian Ng, said: “We use Lion Air for routes that Garuda Indonesia doesn’t fly, for example, from Bali to Labuan Bajo (the gateway to Komodo Island)."

Still, he added: “We have received two cancellations in the last two days, which could be related to the accident.”
However, Pacto COO inbound, Umberto Cadamuro, said: “Immediately after the accident, we sent out information to our clients and we have not heard any queries or concerns from clients so far.”

Pacto uses Lion Air not only for flights to destinations not served by Garuda Indonesia, but also in packages for budget-conscious markets.

“The tour operators in north Europe only use Garuda, while many in the south use other airlines to create affordable packages for price-conscious travellers,” noted Cadamuro.

Meanwhile, Lion Air general affairs director, Edward Sirait, said the airline had followed all regulations, and that an investigation was underway to find out what really happened.

Sourced:  ttgaisa