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Thursday, August 1, 2013

Due to Limited Runway Capacity at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Garuda Indonesia Forced to Postpone Flight Service to London

Jakarta, Indonesia, July 31, 2013 - (ACN Newswire) - Due to a limited runway capacity at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Garuda Indonesia has been forced to postpone its flight service to London, which had initially been planned for 2 November 2013. Reason being, the pavement classification number (PCN) of the runways and apron at Soekarno-Hatta Airport do not meet the required level of strength, which is typically needed for the operation of a full capacity, heavy duty commercial airline, such as the B 777-300ER.

Garuda Indonesia President & CEO Emirsyah Satar said that to operate at "full capacity" serving direct flights between Jakarta - London (non-stop) and carrying 314 passengers (8 first class, 38 business class, 268 economy class) and a cargo of 30 tons (maximum take-off weight), the B 777-300ER requires a PCN of 132 tons. Soekarno-Hatta's aging runway is already 28 years old and nearing "fatigue" with a pavement classification number/PCN of only 120 tons.

To enable Garuda Indonesia to still make the flight to London, there would have to be a "restricted take-off weight" of 329,365 kg, which would mean a reduction in the number of passengers by 39 people and a loss of the ability to carry cargo. Garuda Indonesia would also be unable to fly directly to London. Consequently, the implementation of this flight with these conditions in this competitive world of air travel would have a serious effect on the operational and business requirements of this route.

Due to this unexpected delay, Garuda Indonesia will begin the direct service from Jakarta to London in May 2014. Garuda will initially fly non-stop between Jakarta - London five times a week, departing from Jakarta at 00:55 LT, arriving at London (Gatwick) at 08.30 LT, and departing from London at 10.00 LT and arriving in Jakarta at 06:15 LT the next day.

- Garuda Indonesia Welcomes its Second Boeing 777-300ER to Serve the Middle East Route

Meanwhile, today (31/7) Garuda Indonesia also welcomed the arrival of its second state-of-the-art Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to its fleet. The airline will operate the second B777-300ER on the Jakarta to Jeddah route, which is especially important for transporting umrah pilgrims to the holy land.

The welcoming ceremony took place in Hanggar 2, at Garuda Maintenance Facilities (GMF) AeroAsia, Cengkareng and was attended by Garuda Indonesia President & CEO, Emirsyah Satar and the Director General of Air Commnication of the Republic of Indonesia, Herry Bakti.

Garuda Indonesia President & CEO Emirsyah Satar said the B777-300ER will be dedicated to serve the Jakarta - Jeddah route in response to the growing demand from customers who are going on the umrah pilgrimage. At present, Garuda Indonesia flies from Jakarta - Jeddah 13 times per week with the first Boeing 777-300ER.

The arrival of the wide-body aircraft is part of the airline's effort to broaden its international network, particularly on long-haul flight routes and is in line with Garuda Indonesia's fleet development program as part of the corporate "Quantum Leap 2011-2015" transformation and expansion program.

The newly received B777-300ER fleet marks two important milestones in the company's development. First, the delivery of the Boeing 777-300ER sets a new standard of quality and value in air travel, especially for direct, long-haul flights, as we continue to expand our destination network globally. Secondly, the inauguration of our "First Class" service that will take our services to an entirely new level of excellence.

The premium "First Class" service combined with the unique "Garuda Indonesia Experience", which emphasizes the warm Indonesian hospitality, offers passengers the "Chef on Board" service and the luxury of ordering from a First Class menu prepared at an altitude of more than 35,000 feet.

The Boeing 777-300ER also comes equipped with "In-Flight Connectivity" which allows passengers to connect to the internet through its WiFi capability. The service is currently in a commercial service trial stage and is only partially available to "First Class" passengers for a limited time period.

The Boeing 777-300ER is the leading aircraft in its class and has been awarded the "Best Aircraft" title for five consecutive years in the "Leading Edge Awards". The aircraft has a seat capacity of 314 passengers; 8 seats in First Class, 38 seats in Business Class, and 268 seats in Economy Class.

This year, Garuda Indonesia will welcome four out of the total order of ten Boeing 777-300ER. The first B777-300ER fleet arrived on 24 June 2013 and began operations on 9 July 2013 serving the Jakarta - Jeddah route. Meanwhile, the next two Boeing 777-300ER are scheduled to arrive at the end of this year. As for the six remaining aircraft, three are scheduled to arrive in 2014 and the final three in 2015.

In 2013, Garuda Indonesia will obtain a total of twenty-four new aircraft. In addition to the four Boeing 777-300ER, Garuda Indonesia will welcome the addition of three Airbus A330, ten Boeing 737-800NG, and seven Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen airplanes. Through the "Quantum Leap" program, Garuda Indonesia and Citilink will operate a total of 194 airplanes by 2015.

Currently, Garuda Indonesia and Citilink operate 112 airplanes which have an average age of 5,8 years, among them fifteen A330/300-200 serve routes to Australia, the Netherlands, China, Korea, and Japan, fifty-five Boeing 737-800 NG serve domestic and regional routes, and seven Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen operate out of Garuda's Makassar and Medan hubs, serving short-haul flights in Indonesia's western and eastern regions.

About PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.

Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia and serves as a full service airline. Garuda Indonesia currently operates 82 aircrafts and serves 33 domestic and 18 international destinations in Asia (Regional Southeast Asia, Middle East, China, Japan and South Korea), Australia, and Europe (The Netherlands). As a result of its concern to safety, Garuda Indonesia received IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) as proves that the airline has fulfilled global best practice in safety and security procedures.

Apart from the main business as full service airline, Garuda Indonesia Group also consists of Strategic Business Unit (SBU) and Subsidiaries. The SBUs are Garuda Cargo and Garuda Medical Center. The subsidiaries are PT Citilink Indonesia as Low Cost Carrier (LCC); PT Aerowisata (hotel, ground transportation, travel agent and catering); PT Abacus Distribution Systems Indonesia (global distribution system); PT Aero System Indonesia/Asyst (provider of IT services for the travel and transportation industry), and PT Garuda Maintenance Facility or known as GMF AeroAsia (aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul).

In February 2011, Garuda Indonesia has taken historic step to become a public company and listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. For more information, please visit www.garuda-indonesia.com.

Source: PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.

Contact:
Pujobroto
VP Corporate Communications
PT GARUDA INDONESIA (PERSERO) Tbk
pujobroto@garuda-indonesia.com




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