Garuda Indonesia orders 11 more Airbus widebody aircraft

Garuda Indonesia orders 11 more Airbus widebody aircraft

2012-04-12 16:15:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Garuda Indonesia, the national carrier of the Southeast Asian country, on Wednesday finalized an order with aircraft manufacturer Airbus for 11 more A330-300 widebody aircraft. The deal is valued at $2.5 billion at list prices.

In the presence of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, the contract was signed in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia CEO Emirsyah Satar and Airbus' Executive Vice President of Programs, Tom Williams.

The carrier plans to operate the new aircraft with a premium two class layout on services from its hubs in Jakarta and Denpasar, Bali to destinations in Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. "The A330 has proven to be a key element in the success of the revitalized Garuda Indonesia," said Satar. "The low seat mile cost and high passenger appeal make the aircraft a perfect fit for our fleet and a firm favorite with our passengers."

Garuda Indonesia currently operates 14 A330 aircraft, comprising eight A330-200s and six A330-300s. Wednesday's order is the third to be placed by the airline company for the A330 since July 2010, with the carrier now having a total of 21 aircraft on firm order for future delivery.

In January, Indonesian Transportation Ministry air transportation director Djoko Murjatmodjo said the country's passenger air traffic increased by 15 percent year-on-year in 2011. He said the number of airline passengers reached 66 million in 2011, indicating a strong domestic airline market.

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