The secondary hubs would include cities such as Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, Medan in North Sumatra, Surabaya in East Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi, Garuda’s president director Emirsyah Satar said Wednesday.

Speaking at the Singapore Airshow in Changi, he said the secondary hubs were to generate local or feeder traffic as part of Garuda’s efforts to expand new routes to strengthen its domestic network.

Other efforts include feeds to and from international routes, and domestic hub by-pass routes for mature markets, such as the Medan-Surabaya route, without stopping over in Jakarta.

“We also plan to develop flights from all provincial capitals to Jakarta,” he told reporters.

Garuda is aiming to increase the frequency of flights covering existing high density networks.

Emirsyah said the Indonesian domestic market still had room to grow in the world’s largest archipelago with some 230 million people.

“The domestic market is about 40 million passengers so there is still plenty of room to grow,” he said.

“Especially now that we have regional autonomy in which each region has more freedom to handle its own affairs.”

Garuda recorded 1,333 departures per week in 2008 and aims for 2,702 departures per week by 2014.

On international routes, Garuda had 338 departures in 2008 and plans for 1,222 per week in 2014.

Emirsyah said the airline plans to expand routes to include Hong Kong, India and ASEAN countries as well as opening European and American routes.

Garuda will fly to Amsterdam as of June 1 with other cities being considered, including Frankfurt, London and Paris as well as Los Angeles.

Emirsyah said Garuda would still focus on the Asia Pacific region saying it was where the economic activities were taking place nowadays.

Emirsyah also said Garuda was pursuing full membership of global airline alliance arrangements.

“We have support from KLM and Korean Air for membership of the SkyTeam alliance,” he said.

Garuda also aims to increase its fleet of aircraft from 54 in 2008 to 116 by 2014.

The airline will use Boeing 737-800 New Generation for domestic and regional routes, Airbus 330-200/300 for medium-haul and Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft for long haul routes.

The Malaysian ambassador was briefed on the investment offers and potentials in the emirate of Ajman.

Al Muhairi hailed the visit by the Malaysian diplomat to the ACCI premises as an additional step forward in the distinguished economic and commercial relations between the UAE and Malaysia.

The Malaysian ambassador said his visit to the ACCI aimed at extending bridge of cooperation between the two countries and getting first-hand knowledge about investment facilities and potentials Ajman could offer.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Radjasa, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, and Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fazi were also to meet business persons in a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce office In Riau Islands.

Vice Charman of the regional Chamber of Commmerce Empo Ampuan Situmeang said the province have been applying the existing export-import regulations which seen as unparalel with the needs of local business persons.