Garuda Launches Direct Amsterdam Flights; London Next

Garuda Indonesia has launched flights between Jakarta and Amsterdam. Garuda will operate the direct route 5 times per week using brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which is capable of flying up to 14,500 kilometers and 15 hours non-stop.

The inauguration of Jakarta – Amsterdam non-stop service is inline with the airline’s effort to offer seamless connectivity on either end to over 60 destinations in Indonesia and Australasia as well as all major destinations is Europe and beyond through the combined extensive networks of Garuda Indonesia and the SkyTeam member airlines.

President & CEO of Garuda Indonesia, Emirsyah Satar, said that the initial Jakarta – Amsterdam non-stop service is also aligned with Garuda’s entry into the SkyTeam global alliance on 5 March 2014. “Following Garuda’s official joining of the SkyTeam, the opportunities presented by the established SkyTeam hub at Amsterdam are too significant to pass up, as it will be an alternative gateway for passengers who wish to travel beyond Europe. They will be able to choose from 1,064 destinations in 178 countries served by the SkyTeam member airlines.”

Business and leisure passengers will be able to fly non-stop between Indonesia and the Netherlands five times per week. The flight will depart from Jakarta (GA088) at 17.55 UTC (00.55 LT) and arrive in Amsterdam at 07.40 UTC (09.40 LT). Meanwhile, the return flight from Amsterdam (GA089) will leave at 10.35 UTC (12.35 LT) and arrive in Jakarta at 00.15 UTC (07.15 LT).

Garuda has been flying to Amsterdam already since 1963. Before, the airline operate the Jakarta - Amsterdam flight with one stopover in Abu Dhabi with Airbus A330 aircraft.

With the operation of Jakarta – Amsterdam non-stop flight, Garuda Indonesia will leave Abu Dhabi and optimize its codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways, following the codeshare agreement with the United Arab Emirates carrier signed in October 2011.

Garuda to Reinstate its London Service via Amsterdam

A consequence of this major move is that Garuda's earlier plan to start a direct flight to London this year will undergo a slight change. London will be served through the Amsterdam hub as well, starting 8 September 2014. However, true to its commitment to operate its own flight to London, this destination will not be offered through one of Garuda's SkyTeam partners, but will use the same Garuda Boeing 777 aircraft that will fly to Amsterdam.

Garuda Indonesia will reinstate its service to the capital city of England connected to the Jakarta – Amsterdam non-stop flight. Therefore, starting on 8 September, the Jakarta – Amsterdam – Jakarta flight will change to become Jakarta – Amsterdam – London – Amsterdam – Jakarta. This will provide added convenience for the many Indonesians who wish to visit multiple cities in Europe during their trip.

Garuda Indonesia will be serving flights to Jakarta – London via Amsterdam five times per week. The flight will depart from Jakarta (GA088) at 17.55 UTC (00.55 LT) and arrive in Amsterdam at 07.40 UTC (09.40 LT). The flight will then depart from Amsterdam at 09.55 UTC (11.55 LT) and arrive in London Gatwick at 11.00 UTC (12.00 LT). Meanwhile, the return flight from London (GA089) will leave at 12.10 UTC (13.10 LT) and arrive in Amsterdam at 13.15 UTC (15.15 LT). The flight then will depart for Jakarta at 15.00 UTC (17.00 LT) and arrive at 04.40 UTC (11.40 LT).

The opening of the new service will boost business activities between Indonesia and the United Kingdom, whilst offering seamless connectivity to and from even more destinations in Garuda’s global and regional network. This will include the Asia Pacific region, as the flight will also be connected to the airline’s service from Jakarta to Australia, namely Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.

Garuda Indonesia will serve the Jakarta – Amsterdam – London (vv) flight with its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft capable of carrying 314 passengers, with a seating configuration of 8 seats in First Class, 38 seats in Business Class, and 268 seats in Economy Class. The fleet is equipped with “Inflight Connectivity” facilities, including “WiFi Onboard” and “Live TV” services for passengers in all classes and a “chef on board” for “First Class” passengers.

The “Inflight Connectivity” facilities enable passengers to remain connected to the internet and continue their business activities during the flight or simply access their favorite entertainment, such as live soccer games via the sports channel, and many other entertainment options.

In addition to the Jakarta – London service, Garuda Indonesia plans to open its new services to Manila and Mumbai this year. To support the airline’s network expansion program, in 2014 Garuda Indonesia will take delivery of 27 new aircraft, consisting of two Boeing 777-300 ER, four Airbus A330, 12 Boeing 737-800NG, three Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen, and six ATR72-600.