Flag carrier Gaurda Indonesia will be returning to the United Kingdom in the Winter 2013 timetable, and will be flying from Jakarta to London Gatwick.
The service will be commencing in the forth quarter 2013, with the exact timetable and schedules to be confirmed.
What is known is that Garuda Indonesia will operate the a 6 times a week service between Jakarta and London Gatwick as a non-stop service.
The service will utilise Garuda’s new Boeing 777-300ER fleet, and will be the only operator connecting the United Kingdom and Indonesia together.
Gaurda Indonesia is having a major renascence after the times it was excluded from EU airspace, with it expanding its long haul fleet using Airbus A330’s and Boeing 777-300ER’s (which are due for delivery from June 2013).
Perhaps the real signs that is has come out the cold are twofold – in December 2012, Eithad codeshared with Garuda to operate a service between Amsterdam and Jakarta via Abu Dhabi, and in 2014 Garuda is due to join SkyTeam.
Garuda Indonesia is also targeting to launch a service to Los Angeles in 2014 too.
CEO Emirsyah Satar had this to say about its choice of airport in the UK:
“We chose Gatwick as the UK airport because of its convenience and good network and accessibility options into Europe and beyond.”
Another interesting option is opening up to the Far East and beyond, and with the improving safety record of Garuda, it could make it an attractive option if you need to go to Indonesia. Suffice to say when the airline reveals how it will be configuring its new 777-300ER’s, will determine how good an option it will be.
I suspect Garuda went for Gatwick due to lack of slots at Heathrow. Same story as Vietnam Airlines. A direct flight to the capital one of the world’s fastest growing economies must be a good thing.