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Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier of Indonesia, is headquartered at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Tangerang, near Jakarta. Named after the mythical Garuda bird from Hindu and Buddhist mythology, the airline was established on January 26, 1949, and is renowned for embodying Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage and hospitality. As a SkyTeam alliance member since March 5, 2014, Garuda operates a fleet of 121 aircraft, serving 44 destinations, including 40 domestic and 20 international routes across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe. With approximately 14.8 million passengers annually, Garuda holds a Skytrax Five-Star rating, celebrated for its premium service, Indonesian-inspired cuisine, and modern fleet. The airline operates major hubs at Jakarta (CGK) and Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali, with a low-cost subsidiary, Citilink, based in Jakarta.
Garuda Indonesia began as KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf in 1947, nationalized in December 1949 as Garuda Indonesian Airways. Its inaugural flight on January 26, 1949, used a Douglas DC-3 named Seulawah, flying from Calcutta to Rangoon. President Sukarno renamed it in November 1946, and by the 1950s, Garuda operated Hajj flights with Convair CV-240s. The 1960s saw fleet expansion with Lockheed L-188 Electras and routes to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Europe. By the 1970s, Garuda introduced Fokker F28s, McDonnell Douglas DC-9s, and DC-10s, enabling long-haul flights to Europe and Asia. In 1982, Garuda became the launch customer for the Airbus A300 B4-220FFCC, the first two-pilot A300 variant.
The airline’s peak in the late 1980s to mid-1990s included services to Los Angeles, Cairo, and Johannesburg, but financial and operational challenges, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis, 2002 Bali bombings, and a 2007 crash of Flight 200, led to an EU airspace ban from 2007 to 2009. The Quantum Leap plan (2009–2014) revitalized Garuda with a new brand image by Landor Associates, featuring a “nature’s wing” logo inspired by tropical birds and ocean waves, and fleet modernization with Boeing 777-300ERs. Garuda joined SkyTeam in 2014, repainting aircraft in alliance livery, and resumed European flights to Amsterdam and London Heathrow in 2016. In 2024, Garuda launched codeshare enhancements with Singapore Airlines, enabling GarudaMiles and KrisFlyer members to earn and redeem miles. In 2025, rumors suggest the discontinuation of First Class on the Amsterdam route from July–August, prompting passenger concerns.
Garuda Indonesia operates 121 aircraft: 45 Boeing 737-800s, 10 Boeing 777-300ERs, 18 Airbus A330-200/300s, and 48 aircraft operated by Citilink (Airbus A320s). The Boeing 777-300ERs serve high-density routes like Jakarta–Amsterdam and Jakarta–Jeddah, while A330s and 737s cover regional and domestic flights to Singapore, Bali, and Surabaya. The fleet’s average age is 9 years, with plans to introduce newer A320neos for Citilink by 2026. Garuda’s cargo operations handle 200,000 tons annually, focusing on perishables and electronics, with key routes to Hong Kong and Singapore.
The airline operates 2,703 weekly flights, with Jakarta–Singapore as its busiest route. Hubs at Jakarta (CGK), Bali (DPS), and Sultan Hasanuddin Airport (UPG) in Makassar support an extensive domestic network, connecting remote islands like Gorontalo and Palangkaraya. International destinations include Sydney, Seoul, and London Heathrow, with codeshares to 140 additional cities via SkyTeam partners like Delta, KLM, and Korean Air, plus non-alliance carriers like Singapore Airlines and ANA. Financial struggles, including high leasing costs and a Q1 2025 loss despite 83% revenue from scheduled flights and 93% growth in Umrah charters, pose challenges.