as you will be flying in one of Garuda Indonesia's brand-new Airbus A330-200's.
From today's E-Travel Blackboard:
Garuda Indonesia heralds re-birth with new fleet of Airbus A330-200 on SYD/MEL-JKT route
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Emirsyah Satar, CEO
Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia opened new routes this week with direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Jakarta using brand new Airbus A330-200 aircraft as the first step in improving the carrier's image.
The planes are equipped with lie-flat beds in Business Class, state-of-the-art audio/video entertainment facilities and interior and exterior design matching with Garuda's new identity.
It's the start of a transformation of the airline that will see it expand its fleet from the current 62 aircraft to 116, increasing the number of flights from 1700 per week to 3000, and adding new routes.
It has also ordered 50 Boeing 737-800NG aircraft and 10 Boeing 777-30ER aircraft which will arrive in 2011. Garuda will hire 250 pilots to fly the new jets.
Garuda says despite bad publicity over maintenance issues and a European Union ban from flying to the UK and Europe, which has just been lifted, the carrier is enjoying high load factors in the mid 80s on its services ex-Australia.
ETB TVs Barry Matheson spoke to Garuda Indonesia's CEO, Emirsyah Satar at the airline's headquarters in Jakarta.