Garuda Passengers to Enjoy Special Maluku Cuisine

"We are at present incessantly doing business transformation to eastern Indonesian regions with special service and presentation of regional typical foods," he added.

According to him, a team of selectors from Jakarta would go to Ambon for surveying which culinary entrepreneurs were eligible to serve their typical foods to Garuda passengers.

"If we find eligible culinary entrepreneurs who can meet the standard of Garuda to serve the passengers with Maluku typical foods, we will cooperate with them," Hendra said.

He added that reasonable service and foods with regional characteristics would make Garuda’s Ambon bound passengers enjoy a comfortable flight. Nicknamed "Ambon Manise" (Sweet Ambon), the island has views which are never boring, because wherever one may go, he or she can see the clear blue sea, fused with the green mountains in the distance.

Ambon also has charming and very impressive beaches such as Tanjung beach at Leitimur Peninsula that boats captivating sunset views, Namalatu beach with beautiful sea gardens at Latuhalat village, white sandy Natsepa beach near the village of Suli, and Liang beach at Liang village.

No wonder, Hendra Sumarno said Garuda Indonesia continued to promote the island city of Ambon in its cabin magazine with photos and data about tourism. He said the cover of the magazine displayed Ambon’s marine tourism enchantment with "Oh, the Beauty of Ambon Manise" on it. The magazine is made available on every seat of Garuda aircraft on domestic and overseas routes.

"The Garuda magazine promoting Ambon tourism is bilingual, Indonesian and English, in an effort to facilitate English speaking passengers to know more about Ambon with its hospitable people," Hendra said.

The magazine also displays photos of and data on Ambon`s marine tourism, Waisalaka egg-eating giant eels at Waai village, Amsterdam fort, old mosques and churches, as well as typical Pantai Natsepa fruit salad of Suli village.

"We are part of Ambon tourism component and therefore, since resuming its route to Pattimura airport in June this year Garuda Indonesia has been trying to make local government program in tourism sector here a success," Hendra said.

Airport management company PT Angkasapura-I General Manager Reggynald Kronest has said Pattimura International Airport in Ambon was also ready to serve international flights from Seoul, South Korea.