Garuda Indonesia @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Boeing 737-8U3-WL Boeing 737-8U3-WL
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  • Douglas DC-8-55 (1970) Douglas DC-8-55 (1970)
    Douglas DC-8-55 (1970)
  • Douglas DC-3 "Seulawa" - The first Garuda Indonesia aircraft (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta) Douglas DC-3 "Seulawa" - The first Garuda Indonesia aircraft (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta)
    Douglas DC-3 "Seulawa" - The first Garuda Indonesia aircraft (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta)
  • McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
    McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
  • Airbus A330-200 Airbus A330-200
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  • Boeing 737-3U3 (Citilink) Boeing 737-3U3 (Citilink)
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    Fokker F-28-4000 Fellowship (Citilink)
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    Boeing B737
  • Convair 990 (Amsterdam - Schiphol, 1965) Convair 990 (Amsterdam - Schiphol, 1965)
    Convair 990 (Amsterdam - Schiphol, 1965)
  • Douglas DC-10-30 (1977) Douglas DC-10-30 (1977)
    Douglas DC-10-30 (1977)
  • Airbus A330-300 (2005) Airbus A330-300 (2005)
    Airbus A330-300 (2005)
  • Douglas DC-8-55 Douglas DC-8-55
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  • Fokker F28 Fellowship Fokker F28 Fellowship
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  • McDonnel-Douglas MD-11 McDonnel-Douglas MD-11
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Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia (PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk IDX: GIAA ) is the national airline of Indonesia. Named after the holy bird Garuda of Hinduism from the national emblem of Indonesia, the airline is headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta. As of 11 December 2014, the airline is rated as a 5-star airline by the international airline review firm Skytrax. The air carrier was previously known as Garuda Indonesian Airways.

Founded in 1947 as KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, the airline is now one of the world's leading airlines and the 20th member of the global airline alliance SkyTeam. It operates regularly scheduled flights to a large number of destinations in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia and Europe from its main hub in Jakarta, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, as well as services to Australia and Asia from Ngurah Rai International Airport (Bali) and a large number of domestic flights from both Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (Makassar) and Kualanamu International Airport (Medan).

At its peak in the late 1980s up to the mid-1990s, Garuda operated an extensive network of flights all over the world, with regularly scheduled services to Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, Fukuoka, Adelaide, Johannesburg, Cairo and other cities in Europe, Australia and Asia. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a series of financial and operational difficulties hit the airline hard, which included the in-flight murder of a human rights activist by airline staff, causing it to drastically cut back services. In 2009, the airline undertook a five-year modernization plan known as the Quantum Leap, which overhauled the airline's brand, livery, logo and uniforms, as well as newer, more modern aircraft and facilities and a renewed focus on international markets, and earning the airline awards such as Most Improved Airline and World's Best Cabin Crew.

The airline also operated a budget subsidiary Citilink, which provided low-cost flights to multiple Indonesian destinations and was spun-off in 2012.

History

Beginnings

The earliest predecessor to Garuda Indonesia was KNILM, Royal Dutch Indies Airways, founded in 1928 during the Dutch colonial period; despite the similar name, it was not a subsidiary of the main Dutch carrier KLM. KNILM was dissolved in 1947, and its assets were transferred to a new KLM subsidiary, KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf (KLM Interinsular Service), which was nationalized in December 1949.

The name "Garuda" was derived from a Dutch poem written by a renowned Javanese scholar and poet Raden Mas Noto Soeroto; "Ik ben Garuda, Vishnoe's vogel, die zijn vleugels uitslaat hoog boven uw eilanden", which means "I'm Garuda, Vishnu's Bird, that spreads its wings high above the Islands". In Hindu mythology, Garuda is the name of Lord Vishnu's mount (vahana). The line was mentioned by Sukarno during the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference at The Hague, from 23 August to 2 November 1949.

In its current institutional form, Garuda Indonesia had its beginnings in the Indonesian war of independence against the Dutch in the late 1940s, when Garuda flew special transports with a Douglas DC-3. The first aircraft was a DC-3 known as Seulawah (Acehnese: "Gold Mountain", or from Arabic Shalawah, means praise/worship) and was purchased for a sum of 120,000 Malayan dollars, which was provided by the people of Aceh (notably local merchants). The first commercial flight from Calcutta to Rangoon was made on January 26, 1949, using a DC-3 Dakota aircraft with the tail number of "RI 001" and the name "Indonesian Airways".The 26 January 1949 is generally recognized as the airline's founding date.

A second DC-3 entered service in 1949, which flew its first flight on December 28, carrying President Sukarno on a flight from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, the first flight made under the name of "Garuda Indonesian Airways". Throughout the revolution, Garuda supported national interests, and often carried diplomats on its flights. The Burmese government helped the airline significantly during its beginnings. The country's national airline, Union of Burma Airways, often chartered one of the airline's DC-3s for its own flights. Accordingly, upon Garuda's formal joint incorporation with KLM on 31 March 1950, the airline presented the Burmese government with a DC-3 as a gift.

By the early and mid 1950s, the airline operated a fleet of 38 aircraft, which included 22 DC-3s, 8 Catalina seaplanes, and 8 Convair 240s, and in 1956, the airline operated its first flight to Mecca with Convair aircraft, carrying 40 Indonesian pilgrims.

The airline's fleet continued to grow throughout the 1960s, during which time the airline continued its expansion. It acquired three Lockheed L-188 Electras in 1961, which supplemented its Convair CV-240 fleet, before taking delivery of its first jet aircraft, the Convair 990 Coronado, in 1963, which allowed it to launch flights to Hong Kong.

In 1965, the airline took delivery of its first Douglas DC-8, and grew beyond the Asian market it was focused on, beginning scheduled flights to Amsterdam and Frankfurt via Colombo, Bombay, and Prague. Rome and Paris became the airline's third and fourth European destinations, with flights stopping in Bombay and Cairo to refuel. Flights to the People's Republic of China began that same year, with service to Canton via Phnom Penh, the first Indonesian airline to do so.

Continued growth

During the early 1970s, Garuda Indonesia took delivery of both the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Fokker F-28 Fellowship for its short and medium-haul operations. The airline went on to take delivery of 62 F28s, holding the title for the largest operator of the F-28 in the world. In 1973, the airline took delivery of its first Douglas DC-10, giving it the capability to carry more passengers and fly longer flights, and it replaced the DC-8 and Convair 990 fleet on flights within Asia and to Europe. The DC-10 would become an integral part of the Garuda fleet for the years to come, outlasting the newer McDonnell Douglas MD-11s, before the type was finally retired in 2002. Afterwards, in 1980, the airline took delivery of the first Boeing 747-200, complementing the DC-10 on high-capacity or long-range routes.

On 21 June 1982, Garuda became the launch customer of the Airbus A300B4-220FFCC, which was the first variant of the A300 capable of being operated with two pilots instead of three. By 1984, nine of these were in service, supplemented by 8 Douglas DC-10s, 24 Douglas DC-9s, 45 Fokker F-28s, and 6 Boeing 747-200s. In 1985 under Reyn Altin Johannes Lumenta, who had been CEO since 1984, Garuda made the controversial decision to hire foreign brand consultants Landor Associates to create a new logo, livery and brand for the airline, a project that was regarded as expensive and unnecessary at the time. However, this move was later on applauded as vital for the reputation and corporate identity of Garuda Indonesia as the national airline.

Under Lumenta, Garuda also increased the number of flight frequencies and destinations, reduced ticket prices and collaborated with Merpati Nusantara Airlines, introducing flexible tickets valid for both Indonesian airlines.

In 1990, the airline took delivery of the Douglas MD-11s, which gradually replaced the DC-10 on flights to Europe, and also allowed the airline to launch flights to Los Angeles via Honolulu. During this time, the airline operated a fleet of the aforementioned MD-11s, DC-10s, 747, Airbus A300 and Boeing 737-400, operating it to destinations throughout Asia, Europe and North America. In 1994, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which would go on to become a mainstay of its fleet until 2015, operating hajj flights and high density short-haul routes, while the delivery of the first Airbus A330-300 in 1996 allowed more flexibility for the airline, as it was more fuel-efficient than the three and four engined jets. That same year, the airline placed an order for six Boeing 777 aircraft, due for delivery in 2000, however, a new series of challenges and difficulties was about to hit the airline.

Difficult times

The late 1990s and early 2000s would prove to be a turbulent and difficult time for the airline; two separate accidents in 1996 and 1997 added to the problems being caused by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, resulting in a drastic reduction in operations, including the termination of service to the Americas and a massive scaling back of its European operations. Largely due to historical links with the Netherlands, Garuda continued to operate flights to Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London after the initial cutbacks, although these flights were also discontinued on 28 October 2004. The situation was exacerbated by the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., the Bali bombings, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and the SARS scare, all of which contributed to a downturn in air travel and Indonesian tourism. As a result, its earlier order for the Boeing 777 was deferred, and so was an order for 18 Boeing 737-800s to replace its ageing 737 Classic fleet.

On 7 September 2004, the situation was worsened when human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, travelling to Amsterdam via Singapore on Garuda Indonesia Flight 974, was assassinated by off-duty pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto, who slipped arsenic into his drink some time before the departure of the flight's second leg to Amsterdam. He was reported to have felt unwell several hours after departure from Singapore, during which time he was checked on by a doctor who happened to be on board, and moved to the business class cabin to sleep. He died approximately two hours before arrival into Amsterdam, sparking an international controversy, during which time Priyanto, along with CEO Indra Setiawan and deputy Rohainil Aini, were all convicted of his murder, although it has been alleged it was under orders from the Indonesian State Intelligence Agency (BIN). The airline was found negligent in failing to perform an emergency landing and was ordered to pay compensation to Munir's widow, but failed to do so. However, by 2005, the airline had largely recovered from its economic problems, swapping its order for six Boeing 777-200ERs for 10 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners in 2005, but its operational problems would remain.

In June 2007, the EU banned Garuda Indonesia, along with all other Indonesian airlines, from flying into any European countries, following the crash of a Boeing 737-400 earlier that year. With the support of the international aviation industry for all Indonesian airlines, the EU promised to review its ban and sent a team of experts, led by the European Commission's Air Safety Administrator Federico Grandini to Indonesia to consider lifting the ban. In August 2007, the transportation minister of Indonesia announced that the EU would lift its ban hopefully sometime in October, stating that the ban was attributed to communication breakdown between the two parties and that discussions were in progress.

In November 2007, Garuda announced its intention to fly to Amsterdam from Jakarta and Denpasar with either Airbus A330 or Boeing 777 aircraft if the EU lifted its ban, however, on 28 November 2007, the EU stated that the safety reforms already undertaken were a step in the right direction for the EU to consider lifting the ban, but still did not satisfy the EU's aviation safety standards, and thus, did not lift its ban. The ban was lifted in July 2009, after which Garuda began evaluating service to Amsterdam and other European destinations, as well as the United States.

In July 2007, the Deputy of Marketing, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia announced that Garuda Indonesia had plans to start service to India, although the date had not been determined. Garuda served flights to India which are all cancelled as of May 2016. The airline resumed flights to Mumbai starting from 12 December 2016.

Rebirth

Following the lift of the EU ban against Garuda Indonesia and three other Indonesian carriers, the airline announced in July 2009 an aggressive five-year expansion plan known as the Quantum Leap. The plan involved an image overhaul, including changing the airline's livery, staff uniform and logo, and nearly doubling the size of its fleet from 62 to 116. The Quantum Leap also plans to boost passenger annual numbers to 27.6 million in the same period, up from 10.1 million at the time of program launch through increasing domestic and international destinations from 41 to 62. Route expansions included Amsterdam, with a stopover in Dubai, in 2010. As of 2014, Garuda flies to Amsterdam non-stop five times a week using a Boeing 777-300ER with continuing service to London, with the sixth weekly service to be added by the end of 2015. Other European and American cities such as Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Los Angeles are being considered for reopening.

As part of the Quantum Leap, the airline refreshed its logo and redesigned its iconic livery in 2009, more than 20 years after the last update. New uniforms were introduced in 2010. In 2010, the airline placed a firm order for six additional Airbus A330s at the 2010 Farnborough Airshow, while it opened a new hub at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Makassar, South Sulawesi to increase services to the eastern part of Indonesia on 1 June 2011, its third after Jakarta and Denpasar.

During this time period, the airline also added additional frequencies to many of its international routes, including to Singapore, Bangkok, Beijing and Shanghai from Jakarta, while it also added capacity to Denpasar-Seoul. It also re-opened routes, including Jakarta-Taipei in 2012.

At the Paris Airshow 2011, Garuda Indonesia announced a firm order of 25 Airbus A320s with an option for another 25. All 25 Airbus A320s are to be used by their subsidiary, Citilink. The airline's earlier order for the Boeing 787, made in 2005, was changed once more, due to the delays in the 787's entry into service, and Garuda opted to sign for 10 Boeing 777-300ERs instead, which it would take delivery of in 2013 to use on long-haul flights to Europe, and medium-haul flights within Asia, such as to Japan, China, Singapore and Saudi Arabia, as well as short-haul domestic routes between Jakarta and Denpasar.

The airline made its debut on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in February 2011, with the government of Indonesia retaining a majority of the shares. PT Trans Airways bought 10.9 percent stake of Garuda Indonesia unsold IPO shares from underwriters on 27 April 2012. The transaction was valued at Rp 1.53 trillion ($166.8 million).

In 2014, the airline became one of seven airlines to earn the prestigious 5 star rating from Skytrax, marking the end of the 5-year Quantum Leap program. Following this announcement, Emirsyah Satar, who had been CEO for the past nine years, announced his resignation and retirement, and promoted budget spin-off Citilink subsidiary Arif Wibowo as CEO.

Following Wibowo's promotion, he began a "Quick Wins" cost-cutting drive to cut down on losses while boosting revenue through various measures, including cancelling unprofitable routes and increasing staff efficiency. Despite this, Wibowo remains committed to continue the airline's international expansion, especially once market conditions, such as the weakening rupiah, improve. This was reaffirmed following the airline's announcement of its intent to order 90 new aircraft, from both Boeing and Airbus, worth $20 billion at list prices at the 2015 Paris Airshow.

Branding and livery

Since its establishment, Garuda Indonesia has changed its branding and livery a few times. During the early years, Garuda color scheme was simple logotype "Indonesia Airways" with blue lines and Indonesian flag. In the 1960s, Garuda introduced a red and white color scheme in accordance to the Indonesian national identity and the Indonesian flag. Also in this period "Garuda Indonesian Airways" introduced a bird logo: a triangle stylized eagle-like Garuda with red and white shield. The logo was painted on the vertical stabilizer of Garuda's fleet from 1961 to 1969. In the 1970s, a logotype with a unique font replaced the triangular eagle as Garuda's corporate identity, along with a new color scheme consisting of a red and orange "hockey stick" line running along the aircraft's windows and vertical stabilizer. This livery used from 1969 to 1985.

In 1985, Garuda underwent a complete branding makeover, changing its name into "Garuda Indonesia" along with its color scheme, logo and logotype. The new branding and livery was created by Landor Associates who also created the new iconic bird logo: the Garuda symbol with five bent lines forming its wings. The color scheme was changed completely to a deep royal blue and aqua color, said to be inspired by the nature of Indonesia that was dominated by tropical greenery and seas when viewed from the air. The nationalistic red and white color scheme was no longer used.

In 2009, a new branding initiative was launched through a new image, developed once again by brand consultant Landor Associates, a new spin of the idea called "nature's wing". Garuda has since replaced the old logo painted on its fleet vertical stabilizer with this new "nature's wing" graphic of blue and aqua shades. The "nature's wing" graphic was inspired by the wings of tropical birds as well as the ripples of waves upon the water. The iconic bird symbol designed by Landor 24 years earlier is still maintained as Garuda Indonesia's logo, with minor changes, while the logotype now uses the Myriad Pro font. The new look is expected to be able to "Capture the Spirit of Friendliness and Professionalism of Indonesia".

To celebrate its 62 years of service on 26 January 2011, Garuda Indonesia painted 2 of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft with the retro liveries the airline used in the 1960s and 1970s.

For the company slogan, there are several slogans that were used in the past:

  • Garuda Indonesia, Kini Lebih Baik (Now Better)
  • Garuda Indonesia, Permata Nusantara (Jewel of The Archipelago)
  • Garuda Indonesia, Nusantara Bangsa (The Nation Archipelago)
  • Garuda Indonesia, Bangga Bersamanya (Proud of You Together)
  • Garuda Indonesia, The Airline of Indonesia
  • The current slogan is "Garuda Indonesia, Look Forward"

Head office

Garuda Indonesia has its head office at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, near Cengkareng and near Jakarta. The head office is the Garuda Indonesia Management Building, located within the Garuda Indonesia City Center. The about 17,000-square-metre (180,000 sq ft) head office facility is on a 5-hectare (12-acre) plot of land. As of 2009, the head office houses the Garuda management and about 1,000 employees from various units. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the current Garuda head office in 2009. The previous head office was located in the city center of Jakarta, in Central Jakarta.

Privatization

Garuda Indonesia had announced that its subsidiary, GMF AeroAsia would be listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2008. However, due to financial crisis in 2008, GMF delayed IPO until 2009. The Ministry of State-Owned Companies (Kementrian BUMN) also had announced a plan to privatize Garuda, that opened a possibility to offer its shares publicly. Garuda Indonesia aimed to list on 11 February 2011, for an Initial Public Offering. Government of Indonesia has confirmed the IPO price of Garuda Indonesia at Rp.750 per share and also cut offering size to 6.3 billion shares only from 9.362 billion planned before.

Subsidiaries

Garuda Indonesia's subsidiaries include:

Garuda Indonesia Group
Company Type Principal activities Country Group's Equity Shareholding
Citilink Subsidiary Low-cost airline Indonesia 100%
GMF AeroAsia Subsidiary Aircraft Maintenance Indonesia 100%
PT. Aerofood Indonesia Subsidiary Airline catering service Indonesia 100%
PT. Aerowisata Subsidiary Travel, hotel, transportation and catering services Indonesia 100%
PT. Sabre Travel Network Indonesia (Previously Abacus) Subsidiary Computer reservation provider Indonesia 100%
PT. Gapura Angkasa Subsidiary Ground handling service Indonesia 58,75%
PT. Aero Systems Indonesia Subsidiary IT provider and solutions Indonesia 100%
Cargo Garuda Indonesia Strategic Business Unit Cargo Indonesia 100%
Garuda Sentra Medika Strategic Business Unit Aircrew health services Indonesia 100%

Destinations

Garuda Indonesia operates flights to 133 destinations in 14 countries, with approximately 500 daily departures from its hubs at Jakarta, Denpasar, Medan and Makassar. The airline serves 3 continents Asia, Australia and Europe with its fleet of 140 aircraft, to destinations such as Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Amsterdam and London, and although it has rapidly expanded its route network since the Quantum Leap began in 2009, the airline still does not fly to several major cities, such as Manila and Ho Chi Minh City, and despite the airline repeatedly stating its intention to fly to Manila, a time frame has not been given.

On 13 October 2009, the airline announced it would resume flights to Europe for the first time following its removal from the E.U. blacklist. It commenced flights between Jakarta and Amsterdam in June 2010, initially with a refueling stop in Dubai. On 2 December 2012, after agreeing to a codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways, the airline changed the refueling stop to Abu Dhabi. After the delivery of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in 2013, the airline removed the Abu Dhabi refueling stop, and commenced non-stop service to Amsterdam, as the longest flight operated by the airline, and consequently ending flights to Abu Dhabi, leaving Etihad as the sole operator between Jakarta and Abu Dhabi. On 8 September that year, the airline extended its Amsterdam flight with continuing service to London Gatwick.

In 2011, Garuda flew 17.1 million passengers up 39% from the previous year, while the total revenue jumped 38% to Rp27.1 trillion ($2.95 billion). Composition of passengers on domestic routes and international routes was 81% versus 19% respectively.

On 31 March 2016, Garuda Indonesia inaugurated its first flight from Singapore Changi Airport to London Heathrow, using Boeing 777-300ER.

In mid 2016, Garuda announced its intention to resume service to Mumbai from Jakarta. This service is opened on 12 December 2016 via Bangkok using Boeing 737-800 NG.

On 12 September 2016, Garuda Indonesia announced its intention to resume service to Los Angeles via Tokyo-Narita using a B777-300ER from Jakarta after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a Category 1 rating. This is slated to start in April 2017. The last time Los Angeles was served was in 1997.

In mid 2016, Garuda announced its intention to serve Chengdu from Denpasar or Jakarta five times a week. Garuda plans to open this service in 2017.

Codeshare agreements and alliances

Codesharing has allowed Garuda Indonesia to expand services into Western Europe and the Middle East. In 2009, Garuda Indonesia expressed an interest in joining the SkyTeam airline alliance, which would make it the second airline in Southeast Asia to join after Vietnam Airlines. Membership would open SkyTeam's network to Indonesian, Australian, and New Zealand markets, which it lacked connectivity to. In December 2009, three SkyTeam members – Korean Air , KLM, and Delta Air Lines (China Airlines joined as fourth member to support Garuda after its 2011 SkyTeam inclusion) – committed to supporting Garuda Indonesia to join SkyTeam. This made Garuda Indonesia eligible to apply for membership in the alliance. On 23 November 2010, Garuda Indonesia signed an agreement to join SkyTeam. The airline became the 20th member of the alliance on 5 March 2014.

On 19 June 2007, Garuda Indonesia and Hainan Airlines began codesharing in a bid to strengthen both airlines' marketing positions in Indonesia and People's Republic of China. In this agreement, Garuda Indonesia will be the operating partner on the Jakarta-Beijing service, flying five times a week using a new A330-200.

An interline agreement between Garuda Indonesia and Australian airline Virgin Blue was confirmed in November 2007. This facilitates travel for passengers connecting from a Virgin Australia domestic flight to a Garuda Indonesia international service departing from either Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.

In June 2008, it was announced that Garuda Indonesia would increase services between Australia and Bali. From 25 June, Garuda Indonesia added an extra flight between Darwin and Denpasar, bringing the total number of services to three per week. Additionally, a fourth flight from Melbourne to Denpasar began on 22 July. On 2 September, another extra service departed from Melbourne to bring the total number of flights per week to five, and a sixth flight left from Sydney. This extra capacity was in response to an increase in the number of Australians who traveled to Bali in the first quarter of 2008, marking a resurgence in Balinese tourism, which was hit hard by the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings.

In August 2008, a codeshare agreement between Singapore Airlines and the airline on route between Singapore and Denpasar was established. Singapore Airlines is the operating carrier.

A partnership agreement with Etihad Airways was announced on 16 October 2012. The partnership includes a codeshare agreement for a total of 36 flights between the two airlines; subject to Government Regulatory Approval. Reciprocal Frequent Flyer programmes were also part of the agreement, allowing passengers to earn miles flying both Garuda Indonesia and Etihad Airways. Garuda Indonesia subsequently shifted its Dubai operations to Abu Dhabi as to compliment the agreement.

During the APEC summit on 7 October 2013, a codeshare agreement between Garuda Indonesia and Aeroméxico was announced, allowing passengers to travel from Jakarta to Mexico City via Tokyo and vice versa. Under the codeshare agreement, Aeromexico would place its flight numbers on Garuda Indonesia's Jakarta-Tokyo flights while Garuda Indonesia would place its flight numbers on Aeromexico's Tokyo-Mexico City flights.

On 19 November 2013, a codeshare agreement was announced between Garuda Indonesia and Jet Airways of India. Under the codeshare agreement, Jet Airways would place its flight numbers on Garuda Indonesia flights between Jakarta and Singapore while Garuda Indonesia would place its flight numbers on Jet Airways flights between Singapore and Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. The two airlines also announced a reciprocal Frequent Flyer programme partnership, allowing passengers to earn miles flying both Garuda Indonesia and Jet Airways.

On 19 December 2013, Garuda Indonesia and Japan's All Nippon Airways announced a partnership agreement encompassing codeshare flights as well as reciprocal Frequent Flyer programmes. Under the codeshare agreement, ANA passengers arriving in Jakarta would be able to transfer to 10 destinations in Indonesia on board Garuda Indonesia flights, while Garuda Indonesia passengers arriving in Tokyo or Osaka would be able to transfer to 11 destination in Japan on board ANA flights.

Garuda Indonesia codeshares with the following airlines:

Explore and Explore-jet sub-brands

As Indonesia's flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia tries to connect many parts of Indonesia to support the government's "Indonesian Interconnectivity" program. However, there are many remote and smaller airports that cannot be reached by Garuda Indonesia's fleet of Boeing 737-800s. This is caused by the lack of airport infrastructure in smaller cities and remote areas, such as insufficient runway length that mostly less than 1,600 meters.

In line with its Quantum Leap plan, Garuda Indonesia ordered brand-new Bombardier CRJ1000 and ATR 72 to reach smaller airports from Garuda's hub like Ngurah Rai International Airport, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, and Kualanamu International Airport. On 25 November 2013, Garuda Indonesia has launched its new sub-brands "Explore" and "Explore-jet", for servicing perintis ("pioneer") lines traditionally served by other airlines — (dormant) Merpati Nusantara Airlines and also its competitor Wings Air.

SkyTeam

On 5 March 2014, Garuda Indonesia officially joined the SkyTeam alliance and became its 20th member. The inclusion of Garuda Indonesia adds 40 new destinations to SkyTeam's global network and strengthens the alliance presence in Southeast Asia and Australia. To commemorate the event, the airline repainted an Airbus A330-300 (PK-GPF) a Boeing 737-800 (PK-GMH), a Boeing 777-300ER (PK-GII), and a Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen (PK-GRA) with the "SkyTeam" Grey livery. With the arrival of Garuda Indonesia to SkyTeam, a variety of facilities are given as including SkyPriority, as well as changing its current frequent flyer membership into GarudaMiles. In addition, Garuda was connected with 140 new destinations and also teamed up with the world's major airlines, such as KLM, Air France, Delta Air Lines, Aeroflot, China Airlines, Aeroméxico and Saudia, as well as XiamenAir.

Fleet

All of Garuda Indonesia's aircraft are maintained by GMF AeroAsia. The Boeing customer code for Garuda Indonesia is U3, which appears in their aircraft designation as a suffix, such as 737-8U3, 747-4U3 and 777-3U3ER.

The airline utilizes the Boeing 777-300ER on flights from Jakarta to Jeddah, Medina, Denpasar, Singapore, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo (until 26 March 2017) and from Denpasar to Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing; the Airbus A330-200 on flights from Jakarta to Osaka, Australia, Singapore and other Indonesian destinations; the larger Airbus A330-300 for medium-haul flights from Denpasar/Bali except Shanghai, Tokyo and Beijing as well as from Jakarta to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and some Indonesian destinations as well as Umrah flights from Surakarta, Balikpapan and Medan to Jeddah, and from Surabaya to Medina); the Boeing 737-800 on most domestic and regional routes and long-haul flights from Jakarta to Perth, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou and Hong Kong and flights from Denpasar, Surabaya and Medan to Singapore; and the Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen on regional flights to airports incapable of handling the newer 737-800, replacing the older Boeing 737 Classic aircraft. The ATR 72-600 turboprop entered service at the end of 2013, serving new inter-island routes to airports in the eastern part of Indonesia that cannot handle jet aircraft, routes that are traditionally served by other airlines. The airline also owns two Boeing 747-400 aircraft that are used for charter, Umrah and Hajj flights and when additional capacity is needed.

Garuda plans to retire and return its oldest Boeing 737-800 planes (PK-GEx registration, 3 aircraft) to their lessors by mid-2017, while its original six A330 aircraft (PK-GPA, C-G) have been refitted in an all-economy configuration for high density domestic, charter, Umrah and Hajj routes. The airline has plans to take delivery of more new aircraft in the future, with an order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft (46 new, 4 conversions from existing -800 order) announced on 12 October 2014, and signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) to purchase 90 new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus (30 737 MAX 8, 30 A350-900 XWB, 30 787-9 Dreamliner) worth $20 billion at list prices at the Paris Air Show 2015. Garuda has also reportedly signed on the dotted line for 14 Airbus A330-900neo aircraft with 7 A330-300 cancellations, first reported during the Singapore Airshow, although the 14-aircraft order remains to be confirmed. On April 19, 2016, Garuda confirmed their order for 14 A330-900neo aircraft.

As of September 2016, the mainline Garuda Indonesia fleet consists the following aircraft:

Garuda Indonesia Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
F C Y Total
ATR 72–600 15 15 — — 70 70 Operated as Garuda Indonesia sub-brand "Explore"
Airbus A330–200 7 — — 36 186 222 Originally 11, 4 sold to Capital Airlines
Airbus A330–300 6 — — — 360 360 PK-GPF in Skyteam livery.
7 36 215 251
4 24 263 287
Airbus A330–900neo — 14
To Be Announced
 First delivery in 2019.
Boeing 737–800 73 — — 12 150 162 PK-GMH in SkyTeam livery, PK-GFM in 1949-1966 livery, PK-GFN in 1966-1985 livery.
Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 50
To Be Announced
 Replacing older 737-800.
First delivery in 2017.
Boeing 747–400 2 — — 22 435 457 Used on charter flights and Hajj flights.
Boeing 777–300ER 6 — 8 38 268 314

PK-GII in SkyTeam livery.
4 — 26 367 393
Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen 18 — — — 96 96 Operated as Garuda Indonesia sub-brand "Explore-Jet".
PK-GRA in SkyTeam livery.
Total 147 79
Previously operated
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A300B4-200FF 1982 2002 Launch customer.
One crashed at Medan.
Airbus A300-600R 1990 2001
Boeing 737–300 1989 June 2015 Replaced by Boeing 737-800 and Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen.
Boeing 737–400 1992 2012 Replaced by Boeing 737-800.
Two sold to the air force as VIP transport aircraft.
One was written off in Yogyakarta.
Boeing 737–500 1997 January 2016 Replaced by Boeing 737-800 and Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen.
Last aircraft sold to the air force as VIP transport aircraft.
Boeing 747–200 1980 2002 Replaced by Boeing 747-400.
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina 1950 1953
Convair 240 1950 1965
Convair 340 1952 1968 The first Hajj flight was operated by this aircraft.
Convair 440 1956 1970
Convair 990 1962 1975 First jet aircraft in fleet.
One crashed at Bombay.
de Havilland Heron 1952 1956 Launch customer.
Douglas DC-3 1949 1970 First aircraft model in the fleet.
Douglas DC-8-50 1966 1980
Fokker F-27-200 1967 1975 One crashed at Lampung.
Fokker F28 Mk-1000 1969 1983 Replaced by Fokker F28 Mk-3000.
3 crashed in 1975-1982.
Fokker F28 Mk-3000 1973 1998 Launch customer.
Fokker F28 Mk-4000 1978 2001
Lockheed L-188 Electra 1960 1977 One crashed at Manado.
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 1970 1993 Replaced by Boeing 737s.
One hijacked.
One preserved for display use.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 1973 2005 One written-off in Fukuoka. Currently stored in Jakarta.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 1990 1998

Services

Garuda Indonesia is a full-service airline featuring economy, business and first classes. The airline began to introduce new premium products and services with the arrival of the Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft. First class cabins were introduced in 2013 on board the Boeing 777-300ER with Wi-Fi and telecommunication services on board.

Awards

In 2010, the Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) named Garuda Indonesia as Asia's leading service quality airline. Skytrax awarded the airline the World's Most Improved in 2012. This is the beginning of a string of accolades recognizing the success of the airline Quantum Leap program. Roy Morgan survey named Garuda Indonesia the Best International Airline surpassing several distinguished airlines, such as: Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Air New Zealand with 91% of respondents gave a 'very satisfied' rating. The airline achieved Platinum level recognition from the League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) on its annual report. In July 2012, Garuda Indonesia was recognized as the World's Best Regional Airline by the global airline review and ranking consultancy, Skytrax.

In 2013, Skytrax awarded Garuda Indonesia the world's best economy class for its service and product at the Paris Airshow 2013. For the first time, Garuda Indonesia ranked 8th in the Skytrax "The World's Top 10 Airlines". During the "Passenger Choice Award 2013" held in September 2013 in Anaheim, California, organized by "Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)", Garuda Indonesia was distinguished as the "Best in Region: Asia and Australasia".

In July 2014, Skytrax awarded Garuda Indonesia "The World's Best Cabin Staff" recognition. The award was based on a global customer satisfaction survey conducted on 18 million passengers between the period of August 2013 and May 2014. The recently launched First Class, on Boeing 777-300ER, was ranked the 9th world's best first class, the 6th world's best first class seat, and the 3rd world's best first class amenity kits by Skytrax in 2014. Overall, Garuda Indonesia was ranked 7th on the 2014 Skytrax "Best Airlines Awards", an improvement from the 8th position in 2013.

In September 2014, APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) awarded Garuda Indonesia as "Best Airline in Asia & Australasia" at the 2014 Passenger Choice Award; along with Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Korean Air , and Singapore Airlines. In the same month, Garuda Indonesia also got Gold Award from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), for their immigration on board (IOB) service and their service quality and it is called as "Garuda Indonesia Experience".

In December 2014, Garuda Indonesia was awarded as a "5-Star Airline" by Skytrax; along with Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Hainan Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and All Nippon Airways.

In June 2015, Garuda Indonesia was awarded with "The World's Best Cabin Crew" by Skytrax for the second time.

In July 2016, Garuda Indonesia was awarded with "The World's Best Cabin Crew" by Skytrax for the third consecutive year.

In August 2016, the airlines was awarded by Sktrax as "The Most Loved Airline", with score of 85% customer satisfaction.

Incidents and accidents

  • On 3 February 1961, a Douglas DC-3 operating flight 542 went missing while flying over the Java Sea. All 5 crew and 21 passengers on board were believed to have perished.
  • On 16 February 1967, Garuda Indonesia Flight 708 crashed on landing at Manado, capital of the North Sulawesi province, killing 22 out of 84 passengers.
  • On 28 May 1968, a Convair 990 bound for Karachi, Pakistan crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Bombay Santa Cruz airport. All 29 people on board (15 passengers and 14 crew members) died. In addition, there was one casualty on the ground.
  • On 7 September 1974, a Fokker F-27 crashed on approach to Tanjung Karang-Branti Airport. The aircraft crashed short of the runway while on approach in limited visibility . The aircraft eventually struck buildings near the runway and caught fire. 33 out of 36 people on board perished.
  • On 24 September 1975, Garuda Indonesia Flight 150 crashed on approach to Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport. The accident, which was attributed to poor weather and fog, killed 25 out of 61 passengers and one person on the ground.
  • On 11 July 1979, a Fokker F-28 on a domestic flight hit a volcano on approach to Medan Airport, Indonesia. All 61 people on board were killed.
  • On 28 March 1981, Garuda Indonesia Flight 206, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, PK-GNJ "Woyla", was hijacked on a domestic flight from Palembang to Medan by five heavily armed hijackers. The hijackers diverted the flight to Penang, and then to Bangkok. The hijackers demanded the release of 84 political prisoners in Indonesia. On the third day of the hijacking (31 March 1981) the airplane parked in Bangkok Don Muang International Airport was stormed by Indonesian commandos One of the commandos was shot, probably by his comrades, as was the pilot, also probably by Indonesian commandos. The rest of the hostages were released unharmed. Two of the hijackers surrendered to the Thai commandos, but they were killed by the Indonesian commandos on the plane taking them back to Jakarta.
  • On 20 March 1982, a Fokker F-28 on a domestic flight overran the runway at Tanjung Karang-Branti Airport in bad weather. The aircraft subsequently burst into flames killing all 27 people on board.
  • On 30 December 1984, a DC-9-30 on a domestic flight touched down 1800m down the runway and overran through a ditch, trees and a fence at Ngurah Rai International Airport. The aircraft broke in 3 and caught fire.
  • On 4 April 1987, Garuda Indonesia Flight 035 hit a pylon and crashed on approach to Polonia International Airport in bad weather. 24 people were killed.
  • On 13 June 1996, Garuda Indonesia Flight 865 overran the runway at Fukuoka Airport, Japan after aborting takeoff well above rotation speed. The number-3 engine fuel line was severed, resulting in a massive fire and the total destruction of the rear end of the aircraft. Three of the 275 people on board were killed.
  • On 26 September 1997, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152, an Airbus A300B4-220 flying from Jakarta to Medan, crashed in Sibolangit, 18 miles (29 km) short of Medan airport in low visibility, killing all 234 people on board. It is the deadliest aviation incident in Indonesia.
  • On 16 January 2002, Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 en route from Lombok to Yogyakarta was forced to make an emergency landing in poor weather on the Solo River, due to an engine flameout caused by water and hail ingestion. One person, a stewardess, was killed in the accident.
  • On 7 September 2004, human rights activist Munir Said Thalib was murdered on Garuda Indonesia Flight 974, bound for Amsterdam. Garuda's CEO at the time, Indra Setiawan, his deputy Rohainil Aini, and pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto were all convicted of his murder. Garuda was found negligent in failing to perform an emergency landing and was ordered to pay compensation to Munir's widow, but did not do so immediately.
  • On 7 March 2007, Garuda Indonesia Flight 200, a Boeing 737-400 flying from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, overran the runway on landing at Adisutjipto International Airport, Yogyakarta. 21 people were killed when the aircraft burst into flames.
  • On 3 February 2015, Garuda Indonesia Flight 7040, an ATR 72 registered PK-GAG, overran the runway at Lombok International Airport on landing. There were no injuries, but the airport had to be closed for several hours.
  • On 1 February 2017, Garuda Indonesia Flight 258, a Boeing 737-800 registered PK-GNK, overran the runway at Adisutjipto International Airport on landing in heavy rain. None of the 115 passengers or 8 crew onboard were killed, but some were injured.

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