Garuda Indonesia Airlines

PT (Persero) Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. It is named after the mythical bird Garuda. In Indian Vedic tradition, Garuda is the carrier of the Hindu god Vishnu; a representation of Garuda appears in the coat of arms of Indonesia. The airline is based in Jakarta at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, with hubs at Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, Polonia International Airport, Medan, Sepinggan International Airport, Balikpapan, and Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore. The airline flies to a number of destinations in South-East,East Asia, the Middle East and Australia. It also previously flew to several destinations in Europe and North America. However, as of June 2008, Garuda, along with all Indonesian airlines, is banned from flying to the EU. Garuda Indonesia is listed as a 3-star airline by Skytrax, and is also listed among Skytrax's Quality Approved Airlines. It is wholly owned by the Indonesian Government and employs 6,285 staff (as of March 2007).

Garuda Indonesia is a full-service airline, in contrast with the 'no frills' low-cost carrier. The class configuration is divided into executive (business) and economy class. The airline lacks products often associated with the top international airlines, such as personal TV screens in all classes and business class seats which convert into beds. However, the introduction of such products may become viable in the coming years due to the recent restructuring and consolidation of the airline, which has delivered good profits in the first half of 2007.

Garuda currently operates flights to a total of 43 destinations (23 domestic, 20 international) throughout East Asia, South Asia, and South East Asia, Australia and the Middle East, with Australia and Japan being vital tourism markets.

In August 2009, Garuda Indonesia will accept delivery of the first of 50 Boeing B737-800NG (Next Generation) aircraft to meet future demands of the ever-changing travel marketplace. In 2011, Garuda Indonesia will take delivery of the first of 10 Boeing B777-300 ER (Extended Range) aircraft, which can fly 365 passengers (typical three class seating) 14,685 kilometers nonstop.

A 24-hour call center is available for local customer access and is a means of booking flights since the airline's website does not handle bookings for international flights. However, passengers from worldwide can also book all domestic flights online via http://www.garuda-indonesia.com. It is the airline's official website. The e-ticket system (using paperless or electronic tickets) has been introduced on all domestic flights and flights to Singapore originating from Jakarta. This system computerizes the ticketing method, in which a traditional paper ticket is no longer required.