Airbus Ubah Jadwal Pengiriman Pesawat A380

Produsen pesawat asal Perancis, Airbus, mengubah jadwal pengiriman pesawat seri A380 di tahun 2009 dan 2010. Pengubahan ini merupakan penyesuaian terhadap permintaan penundaan dari sejumlah pelanggan Airbus.

Dalam rencana barunya tahun ini, Airbus menjadwalkan hanya akan mengirim 14 pesawat berkabin ganda. Tahun 2010, Airbus akan mengirimkan sekitar 20 pesawat. "Ini berkaitan dengan situasi krisis ekonomi dan penerbangan," kata perwakilan dari Airbus, Stefan Schaffrath, dalam rilisnya, Sabtu (9/5).

Sedangkan pengiriman selanjutnya tergantung pada permintaan perusahan penerbangan dan ketersediaan dana pelanggan. Meski begitu, Airbus memastikan jumlah pengiriman pesawat tahun ini tidak akan berbeda dengan tahun lalu, yaitu 483 pesawat.

Untuk mengatasi dampak berbagai pengubahan tersebut terhadap kondisi kas perseroan, Airbus akan melakukan langkah-langkah mitigasi. Sehingga rencana baru Airbus itu tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap pendapatan sebelum bunga dan pajak.

Februari lalu, Airbus juga telah mengumumkan rencana pengurangan tingkat produksi pesawat jenis A320 Family. Pengurangan tingkat produksi dari 36 menjadi 34 pesawat per bulan itu bakal dimulai Oktober mendatang.

SBY Resmikan Terminal III Soekarno Hatta

Selain meresmikan terminal III Bandara Soekarno Hatta yang mulai dibangun sejak 2006 itu, SBY yang didampingi istrinya, Ani Yudhoyono juga akan meresmikan Stasiun Kereta Api Tanjung Priok, Jakarta Utara.

Terminal III Bandara Soekarno Hatta dibangun dengan biaya Rp 285 miliar untuk menambah kapasitas terminal I yang berkapasitas 16 juta penumpang per tahun dan terminal II Bandara Soekarno Hatta yang berkapasitas sembilan juta per tahun. Terminal seluas 30 meter persegi yang sudah beroperasi sejak 15 April 2009 itu didesain menampung dua puluh juta penumpang per tahun.

Saat ini baru dibangun satu sub terminal yang mampu menumpang empat juta penumpang per tahun dari lima sub terminal yang direncanakan. Jika seluruh tahap pembangunan terminal III yang terletak di sebelah timur terminal II itu selesai, maka Bandara Internasional Soekarno Hatta diharapkan mampu melayani 38 juta penumpang per tahun.

Terminal yang sebelumnya merupakan terminal haji atau Tenaga Kerja Indonesia (TKI) tersebut akan melayani penumpang dari 97 rute keberangkatan dan kedatangan.

Dua maskapai penerbangan yang akan dipindahkan terlebih dahulu dari terminal I ke terminal III adalah Mandala Air dan Air Asia.

Sedangkan Stasiun Kereta Api Tanjung Priok yang juga akan diresmikan oleh Presiden Yudhoyono merupakan stasiun peninggalan masa kolonial Belanda yang sudah tidak digunakan selama sembilan tahun.

Stasiun yang dibangun pada 1914 itu direnovasi dengan biaya Rp 9 miliar dan akan melayani tiga rute kereta penumpang kelas ekonomi. Dari enam jalur kereta api di stasiun tersebut, baru tiga yang diaktifkan sedangkan tiga lagi masih dalam perbaikan.

Stasiun kereta api Tanjung Priok akan melayani rute Tanjung Priok-Purwakarta, Kereta Kertajaya jurusan Tanjung Priok-Surabaya, dan Tanjung Priok-Semarang.

Toilet Sejumlah Pesawat Cathay Pacific Macet

Hong Kong - Cathay Pacific, Rabu, menyatakan perusahaan penerbangan itu telah dirundung serangkaian kejadian misterius, seperti toilet macet, pada armada Airbusnya, dan satu pesawatnya yang dipenuhi penumpang dipaksa mendarat tanpa jadwal karena tolietnya tak berfungsi.

Semua toilet di pesawat Airbus A330 dan A340 milik perusahaan penerbangan Hong Kong tersebut macet dalam tiga kejadian terpisah selama 11 hari belakangan, kata jurubicara Cathay Pacific Carolyn Leung kepada AFP, saat mengkonfirmasi satu laporan yang disiarkan oleh South China Morning Post.

Satu pesawat pada 17 November dari Riyadh, Arab Saudi, menuju Hong Kong dengan membawa 278 penumpang dipaksa mengalihkan jalur penerbangan ke Mumbai, India, ketika awak kabin mendapati tak lama setelah lepas-landas bahwa tak ada satu pun dari 10 toilet di pesawat itu yang lancar.

Pengalihan yang tak dapat dielakkan tersebut mengakibatkan penundaan 18 jam pada pesawat yang seharusnya menjalani jadwal penerbangan delapan jam itu.

Dua pesawat lain yang mengalami "nasib naas berupa toilet macet" adalah pesawat dari Roma ke Hong Kong pada 9 November dan dari Dubai di Uni Emirat Arab ke Hong Kong pada 19 November.

Dalam kedua kasus itu, jumlah penumpang harus dibatasi jadi kurang dari 240 orang ketika didapati sebelum lepas-landas bahwa hanya toilet di satu sisi pesawat berfungsi.

Penyebab pasti macetnya toilet tersebut belum diketahui, kata jurubicara itu, yang menambahkan penumpang mungkin ikut bertanggung jawab.

"Anda pasti akan terheran-heran mengenai apa yang kami temukan di pipa saluran ketika kami membersihkan sistem itu --bukan hanya handuk muka tapi juga botol obat, kaus kaki, bahan pakaian dan bahkan boneka buat anak-anak yang badannya berisi," kata Leung.

Perusahaan penerbangan tersebut menyatakan telah berkonsultasi dengan Airbus mengenai masalah itu dan para teknisinya sekarang sedang memasang pipa baru serta melakukan perawatan pembersihan yang mendalam pada semua toilet pesawat.

Toilet pesawat menggunakan pipa berkecepatan tinggi yang membawa sampah dengan kecepatan 110 kilometer per jam ke dalam tangki penampungan yang dikosongkan di antara jeda penerbangan.

Dua sistem vakum beroperasi secara terpisah di masing-masing sisi pesawat, yang berarti hambatan biasanya mempengaruhi semua toilet di satu sisi pesawat.

Pedoman kerja internal Cathay menyatakan rasio minimum toliet-buat-penumpang di kelas ekonomi mesti memiliki perbandingan satu berbanding 80.(*)

Kronologi Hilangnya Pesawat Air France

Janiero - Pesawat Air France yang hilang di perairan Atlantik diduga sempat tersambar petir dan mengalami turbulensi. Berikut rentetan kejadian yang menimpa pesawat Airbus A330 itu sebelum menghilang.

Seperti dikutip BBC, Senin (1/6/2009), pesawat tersebut berangkat dari Rio de Janiero pada pukul 19.00 waktu setempat. Pesawat berisi 216 penumpang dan 12 kru.

Empat jam kemudian, pesawat mengirim sinyal otomatis yang mengindikasikan adanya permasalahahan listrik saat turbulensi. Pukul 21.30 waktu setempat, pasukan angkatan udara Brazil sempat memperoleh kontak terakhir dengan pesawat. Namun tidak diketahui lokasi pasti pesawat tersebut.

Diduga pesawat jatuh di sekitar Fernando de Noronha, 300 km dari kota Natal atau 1.500 Timur Laut Rio de Janiero.

Para pengamat penerbangan di Brazil mengatakan, pesawat kemungkinan sudah jatuh di kawasan Afrika. Proses pencarian diperkirakan akan memakan waktu lama dan sangat sulit, karena kotak hitam pesawat ada di dasar laut.

Saat ini keluarga penumpang sudah mulai berkumpul di bandara Charles de Gaulle, Paris. Belum ada pengumuman resmi mengenai identitas penumpang hingga saat ini.

Sichuan Airlines signs first Airbus Flight Hour Services in China

Sichuan Airlines, the first Chinese operator to fly Airbus A320 Family aircraft, has signed a contract with Airbus for customized Flight Hour Services (FHS) for its future fleet of three brand new leased A330s, which are scheduled to be in service from early next year.

In order to operate the newly built A330 fleet in a more efficient and cost-effective way, Sichuan Airlines has decided to use the Airbus FHS and will become the first customer for Airbus FHS in China.

The FHS is part of Airbus' comprehensive portfolio of support, services and solutions that help Airbus customers meet and exceed their business objectives. Airbus will deliver to Sichuan Airlines a tailor-made solution with strong support from Airbus worldwide customer services system. Under the agreement, Airbus guarantees availability of key Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) as well as related logistics and maintenance services for Sichuan Airlines for an initial 13.5-year period.

Airbus FHS helps minimize aircraft on-the-ground time by providing airlines with even faster and simpler access to spare parts and services at predictable rates, based on stock and flight hour parameters. Airbus already has FHS services in operation with other customers in the Asian region.

"The introduction of Airbus A330s and the Airbus FHS for the new A330 fleet is a natural choice for Sichuan Airlines as we have been in successful partnership with Airbus for 14 years. Thanks to the tailor-made Airbus Flight Hour Services, we will optimise our investment and deliver better services to our customers," said Mr. Lan Xinguo, Chairman of Sichuan Airlines.

"Facing evolving market and customer requirements, Airbus continues to develop innovative and customized services, enabling Airbus customers such as our long lasting customer Sichuan Airlines to focus on their core business," said Laurence Barron, President of Airbus China.

"There are now more than 530 Airbus aircraft in operation with Chinese airlines and the Airbus fleet in China are expanding fast. More than ever, our Chinese customers are expecting from us innovative and flexible solutions to enable safe, efficient and profitable operations and this agreement strengthens further our partnership with our long time customer Sichuan Airlines," said Charles Champion, Executive Vice President Customer Services of Airbus.

Sichuan Airlines was also the operator of the very first Airbus A320 assembled by Family Final Assembly Line China (FALC) in Tianjin.

Notes to editors

Airbus in China: Customer Services
Airbus offers customised support, services and solutions tailored to meet airline individual needs. This comprehensive services portfolio starts well before delivery of the aircraft and continues throughout its operational life, irrespective of whether the aircraft has been bought or leased.

All Chinese Airbus operators have designated customer support managers and representatives who regularly visit the airlines to ensure the performance of Airbus aircraft and provide operational analysis. The customer services department provides on-site technical support to airline operations in major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen and Xi'an.

Air France Jet missing 228 On Board

An Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris hit strong turbulance and lost contact with air traffic controllers over the Atlantic Ocean, officials said on Monday, June 1, 2009. Brazil began a search mission off its northeastern coast.

Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330 registration F-GZCP, had 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board, company spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand said. The flight left Rio on Sunday at 7pm local time. About four hours later, the plane sent an automatic signal indicating electrical problems while going through strong turbulence, Air France said.

The plane 'crossed through a thunderous zone with strong turbulence' at 0200 GMT Monday (10pm EDT Sunday). An automatic message was received at 0214 GMT (10.14pm EDT Sunday) 'signaling electrical circuit malfunction'.

The plane disappeared about 300 kilometres northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal, near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, a Brazilian air force spokesman said. The air force began a search began Monday morning near Fernando de Noronha, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with air force policy. The region is about 1,500 miles northeast of Rio.

Air France said the 216 passengers included one infant, seven children, 82 women and 126 men. It says the plane entered service in 2005 and last underwent maintenance April 16. A police official on Fernando de Noronha said the weather was clear last night into this morning.

'It's going to take a long time to carry out this search,' Douglas Ferreira Machado, head of investigation and accident prevention for Brazil's Civil Aeronautics Agency, or ANAC, told Globo news. 'It could be a long, sad story. The black box will be at the bottom of the sea.'

Aviation experts said it was clear the plane was not in the air any longer, due to the amount of fuel it would have been carrying.

'The conclusion to be drawn is that something catastrophic happened on board that has caused this airplane to ditch in a controlled or an uncontrolled fashion,' Jane's Aviation analyst Chris Yates told The Associated Press. 'I would suggest that potentially it went down very quickly and so quickly that the pilot on board didn't have a chance to make that emergency call,' he said, adding that the possibilities ranged from mechanical failure to terrorism.

Ms Barrand said the airline set up an information center at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport for the families of those on board. That centre said 60 French citizens were on the plane. Italy said at least three passengers were Italian. 'Air France shares the emotion and worry of the families concerned,' she said.

The flight was supposed to arrive in Paris at 0915 GMT (5.15am EDT), according to the airport. France's minister in charge of transport, Jean-Louis Borloo, said there was a 'real pessimism at this hour' about the fate of the aircraft. 'We can fear the worst,' he said on Europe-1 radio. (AP)

Garuda Buka Kembali Rute Jakarta-Pangkalpinang

Maskapai Garuda Indonesia kembali membuka jalur penerbangan dari Jakarta menuju Pangkalpinang, mulai hari ini, 1 Juni 2009. VP Corporate Secretary Pujobroto, dalam siaran persnya, menjelaskan langkah ini sebagai bagian dari realisasi program pengembangan 18 rute baru Garuda Indonesia pada 2009.

Pujobroto menambahkan, pembukaan rute ini juga merupakan satu upaya untuk meningkatkan pelayanan kepada pelanggan. ”Juga sebagai upaya untuk memenuhi permintaan pasar yang semakin meningkat pada rute yang menghubungkan kedua kota tersebut,” ujarnya.

Penerbangan rute Jakarta – Pangkalpinang ini akan dilayani setiap hari menggunakan pesawat Boeing 737-300 (16 kelas bisnis, 94 kelas ekonomi). Jadwalnya, dari Jakarta (GA-138) pukul 06.45 WIB dan tiba di Pangkalpinang pukul 07.55 WIB, kemudian terbang kembali dari Pangkalpinang (GA 139) pada pukul 08.30 WIB dan tiba di Jakarta pukul 0940 WIB.

Selain itu, lanjut Pujobroto, pembukaan rute ini juga dimaksudkan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pelanggan Garuda Indonesia yang akan melakukan kunjungan keluarga, bisnis, maupun wisata antarkedua kota. ”Kita berharap, ini akan meningkatkan aktivitas perekonomian, wisata, dan sosial dan budaya di Pangkalpinang,” tandasnya.

Menurut dia, perkembangan Pangkalpinang saat ini semakin menggembirakan mengingat semakin banyaknya investor yang menjadikan Pangkalpinang sebagai tempat tujuan investasi. Dengan pertumbuhan investasi sebesar 15 persen, Pangkalpinang berpotensi mengalami peningkatan perekonomian yang sangat besar.

”Khususnya pada sektor jasa perhotelan, industri pengolahan hasil laut, industri hasil tambang, serta potensi alam dan wisata,” ujar Pujobroto.

Sebelumnya, sepanjang tahun 2009 ini, Garuda Indonesia telah membuka rute - rute baru seperti Jakarta - Lampung, Jakarta – Jambi, Jakarta - Malang, Jakarta - Kendari, Jakarta – Kupang, Shanghai-Denpasar, Surabaya-Hongkong dan Denpasar Hongkong untuk meningkatkan pangsa pasarnya.

Selanjutnya, akan membuka rute-rute lain seperti rute Jakarta-Ambon-Ternate mulai bulan Juli, Jakarta-Palu (Agustus), Jakarta-Sorong-Manokwari dan Jakarta - Tarakan (September), Jakarta – Sydney dan Jakarta - Melbourne mulai (Agustus), serta Denpasar – Adelaide pada (November).

Pesawat Aviastar Diduga Hilang di Papua

Pesawat terbang jenis Twin Otter milik maskapai penerbangan Avia Star Airlines diduga hilang saat menerbangi rute Dekai-Wamena, Papua. Hingga saat ini tim dari Kantor Badan SAR Jayapura masih melakukan pencarian pesawat beregistrasi PK-BRO tersebut.

Ketika dihubungi, Juru Bicara Badan SAR Gagah Prakoso menjelaskan, pesawat yang dipiloti Capt. Frans Noble dan kopilot Dedi Sudrajat itu putus kontak dengan menara pengawas pada pukul 06.54 UTC (15.54 WIT).

”Pesawat terbang dari Dekai menuju Wamena, lepas landas pukul 06.32 dan dijadwalkan mendarat pukul 07.02 UTC. Informasinya pesawat sedang mengangkut sembako. Tidak ada penumpang, hanya ada seorang awak kabin yang dibawa pesawat ini,” jelasnya, Senin (29/4).

Gagah menambahkan, hingga saat ini pihaknya masih mencoba untuk mencari koordinat pasti penentu posisi pesawat tersebut melalui saluran radio. ”Kami belum bisa mencari dengan menggunakan pesawat, karena kondisi di rute itu sudah gelap. Mungkin besok kita akan melakukan pencarian dengan menggunakan pesawat,” ujarnya.

Sementara itu, Juru Bicara Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi (KNKT) JA Barata mengatakan, pihaknya baru akan mengirimkan tim setelah mendapatkan kepastian informasi dari Badan SAR terkait hilangnya pesawat Aviastar.

”KNKT belum mengirimkan tim, karena informasinya masih belum pasti. Kita belum tahu apakah pesawat itu benar-benar hilang, atau melakukan pendaratan darurat di suatu tempat yang kita belum ketahui lokasinya. Sampai saat ini, kami masih menunggu informasi dari Badan SAR,” jelasnya.

Rute penerbangan Papua memang terbilang sebagai rute yang rawan kecelakaan. Saat ini pemerintah melalui Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Udara Departemen Perhubungan tengah mengkaji ulang jalur penerbangan di kawasan ujung timur Indonesia tersebut untuk membuat standar khusus bagi penerbangan di sana.

Standar khusus tersebut sangat dibutuhkan bagi penerbangan di Papua mengingat seringnya kecelakaan pesawat terbang di sana. Standar itu antara lain meliputi standar pengamanan yang lebih ketat yang mencakup kelaikan pesawat, kemampuan pilot, kelengkapan kapasitas fasilitas bandara termasuk fasilitas pesawat dan lainnya.

Sebelumnya, pada 9 April 2009 lalu, pesawat milik Aviastar lainnya yang berjenis BAe 146-300 tipe B463 juga pernah mengalami kecelakaan. Pesawat rakitan British Aerospace tahun 1990 itu terjatuh dan meledak di wilayah pegunungan di Desa Pike, Wamena, Papua. Seluruh kru yang berjumlah enam orang dinyatakan tewas dalam peristiwa itu.

Kecelakaan terjadi ketika pesawat yang tengah mengangkut 9 ton bahan bakar avtur itu tengah melakukan pendekatan untuk mendarat di Bandara Wamena. Pesawat diketahui terjatuh dan seketika terbakar ketika tengah mencari posisi untuk mendekati runway 15 yang akan didaratinya.

Pesawat diindikasikan menabrak puncak Gunung Pike ketika masuk ke dalam awan. Mengingat kondisi cuaca saat itu dalam keadaan berkabut sehingga membuat jarak pandang pilot menjadi sangat terbatas.

Kemudia pada 30 Januari 2008 silam, pesawat Aviastar lain berjenis DHC-6 Twin Otter juga sempat mengalami kecelakaan. Pesawat rakitan Kanada yang saat itu mengangkut sebanyak 15 penumpang tersebut tergelincir di Bandara Sugapa, Kabupaten Paniai, Papua. Satu dari 15 penumpang yang dibawanya meninggal dunia, dan dua lainnya menderita luka berat, akibat peristiwa tersebut.

Just Over Twenty Years Ago, Emirates Was Born as The Official International Airline of The United Arab Emirates.

On 25th October 1985, Emirates flew its first routes out of Dubai with just two aircraft—a leased Boeing 737 and Airbus 300 B4. Then as now, our goal was quality, not quantity, and in the years since taking those first small steps onto the regional travel scene, Emirates has evolved into a globally influential travel and tourism conglomerate known the world over for our commitment to the highest standards of quality in every aspect of our business.

Though wholly owned by the Government of Dubai, Emirates has grown in scale and stature not through protectionism but through competition—competition with the ever-growing number of international carriers that take advantage of Dubai’s open-skies policy. Not only do we support that policy, but we see it as vital to maintaining our identity and our competitiveness. After making its initial start-up investment, the Government of Dubai saw fit to treat Emirates as a wholly independent business entity, and today we are thriving because of it. Our growth has never been lower than 20 per cent annually, and the airline has recorded an annual profit in every year since its third in operation.

Continuing our explosive growth while continually striving to provide the best service in the industry is the secret of Emirates’ success. The airline’s business includes:

• An award winning international cargo division
• A full-fledged destination management and leisure division
• An international ground-handler
• An airline IT developer.

Lufthansa Takes Delivery Of Its 100th Airbus A320 Family Aircraft 19 November 2009

Airbus has delivered Lufthansa’s 100th A320 Family aircraft from Airbus’ Final Assembly Line in Hamburg. The aircraft, an A320, was handed over to Lufthansa yesterday evening. Nico Buchholz, Lufthansa’s Head of Corporate Fleet Management said: “The acquisition and delivery of the 100th A320 Family aircraft is another milestone in our partnership with Airbus. We are continuing to benefit from the reliability, economic and ecological efficiency, as well as the passenger appeal of the A320 Family.” Airbus Chief Operating Officer - Customers, John Leahy commented: “The delivery of Lufthansa’s 100th A320 Family aircraft not only speaks for the tremendous success of the A320 programme, but also for our strong relationship with Lufthansa, one of the world’s largest Airbus operators.” He added: “The A320 Family is the world’s most eco-efficient, modern and reliable. The programme’s leadership will be strengthened through constant improvements in aerodynamics, weight reduction, operational efficiencies and increased cabin comfort.” Lufthansa is one of the longest standing and largest Airbus operators worldwide. Currently the airline operates more than 170 Airbus aircraft, including aircraft from the A340, A330 and A320 Families. To date, Lufthansa has on order 58 Airbus aircraft. Thanks to the excellent seat-mile costs, the A320 Family enables the Lufthansa Group to offer more new services combined with high-end passenger comfort levels. The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Each aircraft features fly-by-wire controls and all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range. More than 6,400 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold to more than 300 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world's best selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft, and with continuous enhancements, is set to remain the leader in its segment for years to come.

Batavia Airlines Trust Us To Fly

Batavia Air mulai beroperasi pada tanggal 5 Januari 2002, dan tokoh dibelakang berdirinya perusahaan penerbangan ini adalah Bapak Yudiawan Tansari. Selaku Presiden Direktur beliau memulai Batavia Air dengan satu buah pesawat Fokker F28 dan dua buah Boeing 737-200.

Batavia Air adalah perusahaan penerbangan nasional pertama yang mengoperasikan pesawat Airbus A-319 sejak Januari 2006. Batavia Air saat ini mengoperasikan lebih dari 150 penerbangan setiap harinya dan melayani 29 kota tujuan di Indonesia serta Guangzhou-Cina dan Kuching-Malaysia. Batavia Air memiliki 36 pesawat yang terdiri dari pesawat Boeing 737-200, 737-300, 737-400, Airbus A-319 dan Airbus A-320.

Trust Us To Fly, telah menjadi slogan yang menginspirasi para Pilot, Pramugari, dan tenaga-tenaga profesional Batavia Air dalam memberikan pelayanan yang terbaik bagi pelanggannya.

The History of Garuda Indonesia is Intertwined with That of The Nation and The Struggle for Independence.

G aruda Indonesia's first flight began in 1949. The first aircraft is Dakota DC-3.

By the end of 1950, Garuda had 38 aircraft - 22 DC3s, eight Catalina seaplanes and eight Convair 240s. In 1953, the fleet grew to 46 with the addition of eight Convair 340s, and in 1954 fourteen De Havilland Herons were added. The Catalina flying boats were taken out of service in 1955.

Garuda Indonesia commenced passenger service to Bali in 1951 using Douglas Dakota DC-3 aircraft. The first Denpasar-Sydney service on Garuda Indonesia was in 1969 using Douglas DC-8 aircraft. Over the years, Bali has been consistently voted "The Best Island in the World", and the airline has played an integral role in developing Bali as an international tourist destination.

The historic Asian African Conference was held in Bandung, West Java on 19 April 1955. Garuda Indonesian Airways was the official airline for flying delegates from 29 countries, including Heads of State, into Kemayoran Airport, North Jakarta, before they took the journey to Bandung. In April 2005, the 50th Anniversary of the Asian African Conference was celebrated. Garuda Indonesia became the "Official Carrier" flying the 75 Heads of State from Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in Jakarta to the ceremonies in Bandung including Mr Kofi Annan Secretary General of the United Nations.

In June 1956, the first Haj flight of over 40 Indonesian pilgrims to Saudia Arabia, occurred on a Convair-340 operated by Garuda Indonesia Airways. Today the airline flies over 100,000 Haj pilgrims to Jeddah from Indonesia annually.

In 1961, turbo-prop Lockheed Electras joined the fleet, enabling the launch of a service to Hong Kong.

In 1965, Garuda Indonesia was the first airline from South East Asia to offer intercontinental jet service from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Colombo, Bombay, Rome, and Prague. The flight was operated b the technologically advanced Convair 990A aircraft. The four-engine jet was the first commercial airliner to be equipped with turbofan engines. The Convair 990A still holds the record as the world's fastest sub-sonic civil airliner.

In 1969, Fokker F-27 turboprop aircraft went into service on domestic routes and two DC9s were delivered. Two jet F28s were added in 1971 and by 1980 Garuda had 24 DC9s and 33 F28s. The first of its DC10s were delivered in 1976, and the first of six Boeing 747-200s arrived in 1980. Then in 1983, came the A300 Airbuses, followed at the end of the 80s and early 90s by A300-600, B737-300s, MD11s and B737-400s.

From the early 1970's to the mid 1980's, Garuda Indonesia operated the largest fleet Fokker Fellowship F-28 twinjets in the world. At one point, the Fokker F-28 fleet consisted of 42 aircraft, including the Mk-1000 from 1971, the Mk-3000 from 1976, and the Mk-4000 the most advanced version from 1984. The F-28's ended their service on 5 April 2001 with Garuda Indonesia and transferred to Citilink, the low cost carrier of Garuda Indonesia.

Garuda Indonesia became an all jet airline in 1977, when the last of the Fokker Friendship F-27 turboprop aircraft were replaced by the Fokker Fellowship F-28 Mk-3000 twinjets. The fleet consisted of four wide-bodied Douglas DC-10 aircraft, three Douglas DC-8's, Eighteen Douglas DC-9's, and thirty two Fokker F-28's. The all jet fleet allowed Garuda Indonesia to offer a new level of comfort and reliability across the Indonesian archipelago and beyond.

In 1980 the first of Boeing B747-200 jumbo jet aircraft was delivered. By 1984 the fleet consisted of 4 Boeing 747-200's, 6 Douglas DC-10's, 9 Airbus A300-B4 (Forward Facing Crew Cockpit), 24 Douglas DC-9s and 36 Fokker Fellowship F-28.

On 21 January 1982, Garuda Indonesia was the first airline to operate an Airbus A300-B4 FFCC (Forward Facing Crew Cockpit) using a specially designed two -man analog flight deck, this was the forerunner to two-man glass cockpits used on all modern aircraft today.

In 1985 the Garuda Maintenance Facility at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and the Garuda Training Centre in West Jakarta were established.

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.