Garuda Indonesia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Garuda Indonesia

Founded	16 July 1928; 96 years ago (1928-07-16) (as Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij) 1 August 1947; 77 years ago (1947-08-01) (as KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf)
Commenced operations	26 January 1949; 76 years ago (1949-01-26) (as Indonesian Airways) 28 December 1949; 75 years ago (1949-12-28) (as Garuda Indonesian Airways)
Hubs	Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Secondary hubs	Denpasar Makassar
Focus cities	Surabaya
Frequent-flyer program	GarudaMiles
Alliance	SkyTeam
Subsidiaries	Aerowisata Citilink Garuda Cargo GMF AeroAsia Aero Systems Indonesia Sabre Travel Network Indonesia
Fleet size	73
Destinations	51 (including cargo)
Parent company	Government of Indonesia (60.54%) PT Trans Airways (CT Corp) (28.27%)
Headquarters	Garuda City Center Building Complex M1 Street, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
Key people	Timur Sukirno (President Commissioner) Irfan Setiaputra (President & CEO)
Revenue	US$2,100,000,000 (2022)
Operating income	US$3,736,000,000 (2022)
Net income	US$3,935,000,000 (2022)
Total assets	US$6,235,000,000 (2022)
Employees	4,459 (2022)

Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. It is based at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport near Jakarta. Garuda Indonesia is part of the SkyTeam group of airlines. It is the second-largest airline in Indonesia, after Lion Air.

Garuda Indonesia flies to many places in Asia, Europe, and Australia. It also flies to cities for special religious trips like Hajj. It is the only Indonesian airline that flies to Europe. In the past, from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Garuda flew all over the world. It had regular flights to cities like Adelaide, Cairo, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Paris, and Rome.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the airline faced money problems. This made them cut back on many flights. In 2009, Garuda started a big plan called Quantum Leap. This plan changed the airline's look, planes, and services. It helped Garuda win awards like "Most Improved Airline" and "World's Best Cabin Crew" from Skytrax.

Garuda also had a budget airline called Citilink. Citilink offered cheaper flights to many places in Indonesia. It became a separate company in 2012.

History of Garuda Indonesia

Early Years (1949–1960s)

Douglas DC-3 Seulawah, the first Garuda Indonesia aircraft. It is on display in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta. The people of Aceh helped buy this plane.

The airline's story began with an older Dutch airline called KNILM, started in 1928. Garuda Indonesia officially began during Indonesia's fight for independence in the late 1940s.

The first plane was a Douglas DC-3 named Seulawah. This name means "Gold Mountain" in Acehnese. The people of Aceh helped buy this plane. The first commercial flight was on January 26, 1949. It flew from Calcutta to Rangoon. This date is seen as the airline's founding day.

The name Garuda comes from a Hindu story. Garuda is a powerful bird, the mount of Lord Vishnu. Indonesia's first President, Sukarno, chose this name in 1949. He said, "I'm Garuda, Vishnu's Bird, that spreads its wings high above the Islands." The first flight under the name Garuda Indonesian Airways was on December 28, 1949.

In the 1950s, Garuda had 38 planes. These included 22 DC-3s and 8 Convair 240s. In 1956, Garuda flew its first flight to Mecca. It carried 40 Indonesian pilgrims.

A Garuda Indonesia Douglas DC-8 at Kai Tak Airport in 1967. It shows an older design.

Garuda's fleet grew in the 1960s. In 1963, it got its first jet plane, the Convair 990 Coronado. This allowed flights to Hong Kong. In 1965, Garuda received its first Douglas DC-8. It started flying to Amsterdam and Frankfurt in Europe. Flights to Rome and Paris also began. That same year, Garuda started flights to China.

Growing Bigger (1970s–1990s)

A Douglas DC-10-30 of Garuda Indonesia at Amsterdam Airport in 1977. It has an older design with a red stripe.

In the early 1970s, Garuda added McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Fokker F28 Fellowship planes. Garuda became the world's biggest user of the F28, with 62 of them. In 1976, Garuda got its first McDonnell Douglas DC-10. These planes could carry more people and fly longer distances. In 1980, the airline got its first Boeing 747-200. This plane was used for routes with many passengers.

In 1982, Garuda was the first airline to use the Airbus A300 B4-220FFCC. This plane could be flown by two pilots instead of three. By 1984, Garuda had many different planes. In 1985, Garuda changed its logo and plane design. This new look was created by Landor Associates. It helped improve Garuda's image as the national airline.

A boarding ticket from Garuda Indonesia. It is mostly green and shows a passenger flying to Medan.

Garuda also increased its flights and destinations. It worked with another Indonesian airline, Merpati Nusantara Airlines. This allowed passengers to use flexible tickets for both airlines.

In 1990, Garuda received McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes. These planes helped start flights to Los Angeles. By this time, Garuda flew to many places in Asia, Europe, and North America. In 1994, Garuda got its first Boeing 747-400. In 1996, the first Airbus A330-300 arrived. This plane was more fuel-efficient.

Tough Times (1996–2009)

A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 of Garuda at Sepinggan International Airport in 2001.

The late 1990s and early 2000s were very hard for Garuda. There were plane accidents in 1996 and 1997. Also, the 1997 Asian financial crisis caused big problems. Garuda had to stop flights to the Americas and cut back on European flights. Only flights to Amsterdam continued for a while. But even the Amsterdam route stopped in 2004.

Other events like the 9/11 attacks in the U.S., the Bali bombings, and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami also hurt air travel. By 2005, Garuda had mostly recovered from its money problems. But it still had other issues.

In June 2007, the European Union (EU) stopped Garuda Indonesia and other Indonesian airlines from flying to Europe. This happened after a plane crash earlier that year. With help from other airlines, the EU looked at the ban again. The ban was finally lifted in July 2009. After this, Garuda started planning flights to Amsterdam and other places again.

New Growth (2009–2020)

A comparison of Garuda's old and new plane designs (2010). The plane on the right has the current design.

After the EU ban was lifted, Garuda started its "Quantum Leap" plan in 2009. This plan aimed to change the airline's image. It included new plane designs, staff uniforms, and a new logo. The airline also planned to almost double its fleet of planes. It wanted to fly more passengers and add more destinations.

In 2010, Garuda ordered more Airbus A330s. It also opened a new hub at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar. This helped increase flights to eastern Indonesia. From 2013 to 2018, Garuda won the Skytrax World's Best Cabin Crew Awards five times in a row.

Garuda also added more flights to international cities like Singapore, Bangkok, Beijing, and Shanghai. In 2011, Garuda ordered 25 Airbus A320s for its subsidiary, Citilink. Garuda also changed its order for Boeing 787 planes to 10 Boeing 777-300ERs. These planes would be used for long flights to Europe and medium flights in Asia.

The airline started trading its shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in February 2011. The Indonesian government still owned most of the company. In late 2014, Garuda received a 5-star rating from Skytrax. This marked the end of the "Quantum Leap" program.

Garuda continued to expand its international flights. It announced plans to order 90 new planes from Boeing and Airbus in 2015. In 2018, Garuda reopened its London route from Denpasar.

Recent Challenges (2020–Present)

Garuda Indonesia flight attendants wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused big problems for airlines. Garuda Indonesia had to reduce its staff. The airline also made sure its crew wore face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

Due to the long pandemic, Garuda faced serious money problems. Its debt grew very large. To save the airline, Garuda cut about 30% of its workers. The company's leaders also took pay cuts.

In 2021, Garuda owed $9.8 billion to over 800 creditors. The government considered using another airline, Pelita Air Service, as a replacement if Garuda could not be saved. In June 2022, Garuda's creditors voted to accept a plan to restructure its debt. This helped save the company from going bankrupt.

Company Information

Leaders of Garuda Indonesia

Brand and Plane Designs

The new Garuda Indonesia flight attendant uniforms. They feature kebaya and parang gondosuli batik designs.

Garuda Indonesia has changed its brand and plane designs many times over the years.

Old Designs

In its early years, Garuda's planes had a simple "Indonesia Airways" name. They had blue lines and the Indonesian flag on the tail. In the 1960s, Garuda used red and white colors, like the Indonesian flag. It also added a bird logo, a triangle-shaped eagle.

In the 1970s, a new wordmark (a special way of writing the name) was used. The planes had red and orange lines. This design was used until 1985.

Modern Designs

In 1985, Garuda changed its name to "Garuda Indonesia." It got a completely new look, designed by Landor Associates. The new logo was a Garuda bird with five curved lines for its wings. The colors changed to deep royal blue and aqua. These colors were inspired by Indonesia's green lands and blue seas.

In 2009, Garuda updated its brand again. This new look was also by Landor Associates. It was called "nature's wing." The new design on the plane's tail has blue and aqua shades. It looks like the wings of tropical birds and water ripples. The bird logo from 1985 is still used, but with small changes.

Special Plane Designs

To celebrate 62 years of service, in 2011, Garuda painted two of its Boeing 737-800s with old designs from the 1960s and 1970s.

In 2020, Garuda painted five planes with a surgical mask on the nose. This was to remind people to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The planes also had the words "Ayo pakai masker" (Please wear masks). This design came from a competition Garuda held.

Gallery of Garuda Indonesia logos

1969 – 1985

1985 – 2009

2009 – present

Gallery of Garuda Indonesia liveries

A Douglas DC-3 Seulawah RI-001. It has the "Indonesia Airways" name and blue lines (1949 – 1961).

A Convair 990 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in 1965. It shows the triangular bird logo (1961 – 1969).

A Douglas DC-8-55 at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in 1970. It has the Garuda name (early 1970s).

A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in 1985. It has the red and orange design (1969 – 1985).

A Boeing 747-200B at Frankfurt Airport in 1990 (1985 – 2009).

A Boeing 737-800 with the blue and white design at Perth Airport (2009 – present).

This set of images shows how Garuda Indonesia's plane designs have changed.

Main Office

Garuda Indonesia's main office is at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. It is called the Garuda Indonesia Management Building. The building is about 17,000 square meters. It sits on a 5-hectare area. About 1,000 employees work there. The current office opened in 2009. Before that, the main office was in downtown Jakarta.

Subsidiary Companies

Garuda Indonesia has several smaller companies that it owns. These are called subsidiaries.

In 2019, Garuda Indonesia launched a new company called PT Garuda Tauberes Indonesia. This company handles logistics orders. It uses an e-commerce app called Tauberes for deliveries and payments.

Where Garuda Flies

Garuda's Boeing 737-800s at Terminal 3 of Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. This is the airline's main hub.

Garuda Indonesia Bombardier CRJ1000 at Komodo Airport

Garuda Indonesia flies to 96 airports. This includes 72 places in Indonesia and 24 places in 11 other countries. It has about 500 flights every day. Its main hubs are in Jakarta, Denpasar, Makassar, and Medan.

The airline flies to Asia, Australia, and Europe. Some of its destinations include Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Sydney, Melbourne, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur.

In 2009, Garuda announced it would start flying to Europe again. In June 2010, it began flights between Jakarta and Amsterdam. At first, it stopped in Dubai to refuel. Later, it changed the stop to Abu Dhabi. After getting its Boeing 777-300ER planes in 2013, Garuda started non-stop flights to Amsterdam. This was Garuda's longest flight. In September 2013, the Amsterdam flight continued to London.

In 2011, Garuda flew 17.1 million passengers. This was a big increase from the year before. Most of these passengers were on domestic flights within Indonesia.

In 2016, Garuda started flights to Mumbai again. In 2018, Garuda stopped flights to London Heathrow for a short time. But it resumed them in December of the same year.

Airline Partnerships

Garuda Indonesia works with other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This allows them to offer more flights and destinations. In 2009, Garuda wanted to join the SkyTeam airline group. This would connect SkyTeam's network to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2010, Garuda signed an agreement to join SkyTeam. It officially became the 20th member of SkyTeam on March 5, 2014.

Garuda Indonesia has codeshare agreements with many airlines, including:

Garuda's Fleet of Planes

The Boeing customer code for Garuda Indonesia is U3. You can see this in their plane names, like 737-8U3.

Garuda uses the Boeing 777-300ER for long flights with many passengers. The Airbus A330 planes are used for most medium-length flights. They are also used for Umrah and Hajj religious flights. The Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes fly on most domestic (within Indonesia) and regional routes.

In 2015, Garuda Indonesia planned to buy 90 new planes from Boeing and Airbus. These included 30 Boeing 737 MAX, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and 30 Airbus A350 XWB planes. In 2016, they also ordered 14 Airbus A330-900s.

On October 5, 2017, Garuda flew its last Boeing 747 flight. The plane flew from Medina to Makassar. It was then retired.

In 2019, Garuda decided to cancel its order for 49 Boeing 737 MAX planes. This was because passengers lost trust in the plane after two crashes involving other airlines. However, in 2020, the airline said talks with Boeing were still ongoing.

Current Fleet

As of May 2024^[update], Garuda Indonesia flies the following planes:

Old Planes (Historic Fleet)

Garuda Indonesia has used many different types of planes over the years. Here are some of the planes they used to fly:

Special Plane Designs

Garuda Indonesia sometimes paints its planes with special designs.

Services on Board

Garuda Indonesia is a full-service airline. This means it offers different classes of travel: Economy, Business, and First Class. They started offering new services with their newer Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 737-800 planes. First Class was added in 2013 on the Boeing 777-300ER planes. These planes also have Wi-Fi and phone services.

Inside the Plane (Cabin)

First Class

First Class is available on two Boeing 777-300ER planes. It has eight private suites. Each suite has sliding doors for privacy. They have a 24-inch screen for movies and TV shows. The seats can turn into a flat bed. There is also a chef on board to help First Class passengers. Passengers get free Wi-Fi. The seats are very spacious.

Business Class

Garuda's business class is on most planes, except for the ATR 72–600 and some older A330-300s. The new Business Class on the Boeing 777-300ERs has flat-bed seats. Each passenger has direct access to the aisle. These seats have a 15-inch screen for entertainment. They also have USB ports and power outlets for laptops.

Newer A330-300 planes have even better Business Class seats. These seats also have direct aisle access and can recline fully flat. They have more storage and a new 16-inch entertainment screen.

On other Airbus A330 planes, Business Class seats also recline fully flat. They have personal screens for movies and TV shows. These seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 layout.

Garuda's Boeing 737-800 planes have reclining Business Class seats. They have a 9-inch touch-screen for entertainment. Hot and cold drinks, snacks, and meals are served. Wine and beer are also offered on international flights.

Economy Class

Garuda Indonesia A330-200 older Economy Class

Economy Class seats are on all planes. The seating layout depends on the plane type. For example, 2-2 on the ATR 72, 3-3 on the 737, and 3-3-3 on the 777. The seats are comfortable.

Most planes have entertainment screens on the back of the seats. These are 9-inch touch-screens. Newspapers and magazines are also available on all flights. The Boeing 777-300ER planes have 6 international TV channels.

In-flight Entertainment

Most Garuda Indonesia planes have in-flight entertainment (IFE). This includes all A330s, all 777s, and most 737-800s. Passengers can watch movies and TV shows on demand.

The screens are touch-screens. In Economy Class, they are usually 9 inches. In Business Class, they can be 9, 11, or 15 inches. Newer A330 planes have an 11-inch screen in Economy and a 16-inch screen in Business.

Booking Tickets

You can book tickets through Garuda's 24-hour call center in Jakarta. You can pay with credit cards or online banking. You can also book online on their website. They accept credit cards and PayPal.

Frequent Flyer Program

GarudaMiles logo.

GarudaMiles is Garuda Indonesia's program for frequent flyers. It started in 1999 as Garuda Frequent Flyer (GFF). In 2005, GFF was updated with new benefits. Members can earn miles on domestic and international flights. There are different levels: GFF Junior, Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Since 2014, GFF was renamed GarudaMiles because Garuda joined the SkyTeam alliance. Now, GarudaMiles works for both Garuda Indonesia and its subsidiary, Citilink. Members can also earn and use miles with other SkyTeam airlines. They can also earn and use miles with Etihad Airways and All Nippon Airways.

Lounges

Business Class Lounge

The Garuda Business Lounge is for Business Class passengers and Platinum GarudaMiles members. These lounges are at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport and other airports in Indonesia. They offer food, drinks, Wi-Fi, showers, and meeting rooms.

First Class Lounge

The Garuda Indonesia First Class Lounge is only at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. It has reading materials, a small library, a cigar room, and a prayer room. It also has nursery rooms, toilets, and showers. Food and drinks are available.

Sponsorships

Garuda Indonesia was a sponsor for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games. Garuda Indonesia also helps promote "Wonderful Indonesia" tourism. They put the "Wonderful Indonesia" logo on their planes and in their ads.

Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330-300 with Liverpool FC markings at Liverpool John Lennon Airport

In 2012, Garuda Indonesia became an official partner of the Premier League football club Liverpool FC. This deal allowed Garuda Indonesia to show ads during Liverpool FC matches. This helped Garuda become more known around the world. In 2013, Liverpool toured Asia, including Indonesia. This visit helped improve football in Indonesia.

Garuda Indonesia plans to add the 'Wonderful Indonesia' logo to more of its planes. This is to help Indonesia reach its goal of 20 million tourists by 2019. They also plan to add more flights to popular tourist places like Labuan Bajo and Lombok.

Market Share

Aviation market share in Indonesia (2021)      Lion Air (29.7%)     Citilink (22.6%)     Batik Air (21.8%)     Garuda Indonesia (10.5%)     Wings Air (7.9%)     Sriwijaya Air (3.3%)     Indonesia AirAsia (1.9%)     Other (2.52%)

For a long time, Garuda Indonesia was the biggest airline in Indonesia. But since 2000, Lion Air has grown a lot. By mid-2021, Lion Air had the largest share of domestic flights in Indonesia (29.7%). Garuda Indonesia was fourth with 10.5%. Citilink was second (22.6%), and Lion's full-service airline Batik Air was third (21.8%).

Overall, two main groups control Indonesian domestic air travel: the Lion Air group and the Garuda Indonesia group. In 2021, the Lion Air group had 59.4% of the market. The Garuda Indonesia group had 33.1%.

For international flights, Garuda Indonesia competes with other big airlines. These include Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific.

Images for kids

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  A Garuda Indonesia Douglas DC-8 at Kai Tak Airport in 1967, showing an older livery

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  A Douglas DC-10-30 of Garuda Indonesia at Amsterdam Airport, showing their older livery, a red stripe, while the word "Garuda" is colored with red.

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  A boarding ticket issued by Garuda Indonesia, colored mainly in green. The ticket shows a passenger flying GA 150 to Medan. The boarding ticket shows that there are non-smoking and smoking sections on the aircraft.

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  A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 of Garuda at Sepinggan International Airport in 2001

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  Garuda Indonesia flight attendants wearing mask during COVID-19 pandemic

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  Comparison between Garuda's current and previous livery. Aircraft on right is in the current livery; the other two are in the airline's previous livery. (2010)

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  The new Garuda Indonesia flight attendant uniforms, featuring kebaya and parang gondosuli batik

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  Garuda's Boeing 737-800s on stand at Terminal 3 of Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, which is the airline's main hub

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  Garuda Indonesia Bombardier CRJ1000 at Komodo Airport

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  A Garuda Indonesia Boeing 777-300ER (PK-GII) taxiing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The aircraft is wearing the SkyTeam livery to represent Garuda's membership within SkyTeam Airline Alliance.

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  Garuda Indonesia Boeing 777-300ER Business Class

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  Garuda Indonesia A330-200 older Economy Class

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  Former Garuda Indonesia ticket sales counter at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport

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  Business Lounge at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport

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  Garuda Indonesia Business Lounge at Hang Nadim Airport

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  Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330-300 in Liverpool FC onboard marking at Liverpool John Lennon Airport

See also

• Aviation in Indonesia
• List of airlines of Indonesia
• List of airports in Indonesia
• List of companies of Indonesia
• Tourism in Indonesia
• Transport in Indonesia