This ‘lord of all flying creatures’ can be found in many of the wonderful ancient temples in Indonesia and is represented in the airline’s livery and branding by its stylised feathers or ‘nature’s wing’. Garuda is a half-man, half-bird deity from Hindu mythology and is the national symbol of Indonesia (also India and Thailand). Today, Garuda Indonesia is a reputable airline - rated as one of the best in the world. An improved safety record saw the flight bans overturned in 2016 (US) and 2018 (EU). In 2009, Garuda Indonesia launched an initiative called ‘The Quantum Leap’, designed to reverse its fortunes: there was a strategic review, a major brand redesign a new, modern fleet was introduced and a new focus on high levels of onboard service.

‘Eventful’ does not quite cover its history: the airline was created during Indonesia’s War of Independence and has experienced periods of boom and near bust. In 2007, all Indonesian airlines were banned from flying to the US and EU due to their then poor safety record. It currently operates just one European flight, to Amsterdam. The international reach of Garuda Indonesia is limited to less than 20 routes - primarily destinations in Asia - as well as serving Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney in Australia. Spread across 17,508 islands - Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, and it comes as no surprise that domestic routes play a key role in the airline’s network.įrom its base at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta on the island of Java, Garuda Indonesia offers frequent departures to destinations on the five major islands, as well as numerous routes to the smaller island groups. It was founded in 1949 and connects some 90 destinations with more than 600 daily flights.

Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia.

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