Garuda to fly US sky through Japan starting next year

Arif Gunawan Sulistiyono

Indonesian state-owned airline Garuda Indonesia has set to serve the US route starting next year, eyeing a potential market of 400,000 passengers per year especially from Los Angeles and New York routes.

Garuda spokesperson Benny S. Butarbutar said flying the US sky was part of the company’s strategic plan. The firm has started feasibility study on the market potential, profitable route, the utilized planes, including transit and transporting permit from Japan authority.

“The plan to fly to the US route is a business expansion to strengthen Garuda Indonesia’s position as the global aviation player. We immediately take any actions to realize the plan,” he said in a press statement on Saturday in Jakarta.

Based on several commercial consideration, he continued, Garuda would fly through Narita international airport, Tokyo and the wide-body Boeing 777-300ER would be deployed to serve the US route.

“All the preparations are taken by referring to all existing regulation and procedures […] Up until now, Japan still provides fifth freedom traffic rights for Indonesian airlines, that allows Garuda to add the load factor before flying to the US,” Benny said.

Since 2014, Garuda indirectly served two US route, Los Angeles and Seattle, through Haneda international airport, Tokyo by a codeshare agreement with Delta Airlines, a member of SkyTeam alliance.

Now, it can directly serve the route as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded the safety status of Indonesian airlines to category 1 in August. (ags)