Garuda Indonesia Joins SkyTeam

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Garuda Indonesia, the flag carrier of Indonesia, today signed an agreement to join the SkyTeam airline alliance in 2012. Garuda will expand SkyTeam's presence in Southeast Asia, adding 30 new destinations to the alliance network.

Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a fast growing emerging market. SkyTeam is actively working to grow its presence in the region and Garuda is a welcome addition to the alliance. Garuda has a broad Indonesian and regional network and is able to offer additional coverage and improved connections to the Asia Pacific. Some of the 30 new destinations in the SkyTeam network are Surabaya in East Java, Medan in North Sumatra and Perth in Australia.

"Joining SkyTeam is a long-term development strategy for Garuda Indonesia, and for years we have been upgrading our service and actively forging cooperation with SkyTeam member airlines with this objective in mind," said Emirsyah Satar, President and CEO of Garuda. "As the first Indonesian airline to join this world-class alliance, our strategic target is to continuously strengthen profitability and boost international market competitiveness."

"The most fitting word to characterize 2010 for SkyTeam is growth. Welcoming a member that covers a considerable part of Southeast Asia definitely illustrates our expansion," said SkyTeam Chairman Leo van Wijk. "Indonesia has great cultural and historical wealth, is rich in a range of natural resources and has seen impressive economic developments. Garuda's financial and operational restructuring has proven very successful and I am convinced that this will help position the airline as a major player in the region."

Garuda Indonesia was named the 'World's Most Improved Airline' at the Skytrax 2010 World Airline Awards.

"Jakarta will serve as an alternate gateway to and from Asia," said SkyTeam Managing Director Mr. Marie-Joseph Male. "Garuda's consideration to expand its intercontinental network to Frankfurt, Paris, London and Rome will make the airline an increasingly attractive option for business and leisure travelers."

Garuda already cooperates extensively with Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, China Southern and China Airlines, and will establish additional codeshare agreements with other SkyTeam partners. The joining process leading to full entry into SkyTeam is expected to be completed by 2012.

Garuda is the fifth Asian-based airline this year to join or announce its intention to join SkyTeam.  Vietnam Airlines joined the alliance in June while China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines are each slated to join by 2012.

About Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. It is a full-service network carrier and serves 28 domestic and 18 international destinations. The airline's main hubs in Indonesia are located in Jakarta and Denpasar. In July 2009, the airline unveiled a new aircraft fleet, new in-flight product, new service concept and a fresh corporate identity to mark the start of its transformation into one of Asia's most successful and profitable airlines.

Garuda Indonesia received its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification in May 2008, recognizing that the airline is fully compliant with global best-practice standards for flight operations, aircraft maintenance and safety management systems. In December 2009, the airline was also upgraded to a four-star rating by Skytrax, the global benchmark for airline service standards, confirming the improvement in its front-line product and service quality. www.garuda-indonesia.com

About SkyTeam

SkyTeam is a global airline alliance providing customers from member airlines access to an extensive global network with more destinations, more frequencies and more connectivity. Passengers can earn and redeem Frequent Flyer Miles throughout the SkyTeam network. SkyTeam member airlines offer customers over 420 lounges worldwide. The 13 members are: Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, TAROM and Vietnam Airlines. SkyTeam offers its 385 million annual passengers a worldwide system of over 12,500 daily flights to 898 destinations in 169 countries. SkyTeam celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2010. www.skyteam.com

SOURCE SkyTeam