Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2018

134 History of Garuda Indonesia GARUDA INDONESIA AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES DC-3 Dakota Boeing 747-400 1949 1994–2017 Garuda Indonesia owes its success as an international airline in part to its fleet. For its inaugural flight in 1949, Garuda Indonesia, known as ‘Garuda Indonesian Airways’ at the time, operated the DC-3 Dakota and PBY Catalina. The DH Heron and CV-340 joined the Garuda Indonesia fleet in 1950, followed by the CV-440 in 1956. The rapid growth of Garuda Indonesia’s fleet began with the arrival of the Lockheed Electra in 1961. In 1963, Garuda Indonesia became the first airline in Southeast Asia to operate the subsonic jet Convair 990 A. By 1965 Garuda Indonesia had added the DC-8 to its fleet. In 1969 the Fokker 27 and DC-9 joined the roster. Garuda Indonesia operated its first widebody aircraft, the DC-10, in 1976. Subsequently, in 1977, Garuda Indonesia became the first airline to operate only jet aircraft with a fleet comprised of the DC-8, DC-9, DC-10 and Fokker 28. In the 1980s, Garuda Indonesia was the world’s biggest Fokker 28 operator, which had begun operation in 1971. Garuda Indonesia also brought in more widebody planes, namely the Boeing 747-200 in 1980 and the Airbus A300-B4 in 1982. With the Airbus A300-B4, Wiweko Soepono, the President Fokker 28 1971–2001 Airbus A300-B4 Boeing 777-300ER 2013–now ATR 72-600 and CEO of Garuda Indonesia at the time, introduced the FFCC (Forward Facing Crew Cockpit) concept to the world. In 1994, Garuda Indonesia began operating the largest widebody airplane of the 1990s, the Boeing 747-400. Garuda Indonesia continued to bolster its fleet throughout the decade with the Boeing 737-300/400/500 − all in operation since 1989 – the MD 11 in 1991 and the Airbus A330-300 in 1996. Beginning in 2009, Garuda Indonesia introduced in-flight entertainment facilities to its fleet in the form of Audio Video on Demand (AVoD) aboard its Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft. Each Airbus A330-300 was equipped with AVoD and adjustable seats by 2010. To accommodate the domestic market and the regional short-haul, Garuda Indonesia began operation of Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft in 2012, as the aircraft is known for reliability, efficiency and optimal passenger capacity. In 2013, Garuda Indonesia became the first airline in Indonesia to operate the Boeing 777-300ER. The new aircraft offers first-class service along with its speciality service, ‘Chef on Board’, providing passengers with 1982–2000 2013–now the luxury of ordering meals specially prepared by on-board chefs. The Boeing 777-300ER is also equipped with in- flight connectivity. Moreover, in November 2013, the ATR 72-600 aircraft joined the Garuda Indonesia fleet, allowing the airline to reach remote destinations across the archipelago. The turboprop aircraft introduced Garuda Indonesia’s sub-brand ‘Explore’. At the same time, Garuda Indonesia also introduced the sub-brand ‘Explore Jet’ for its Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft, which have been in operation since October 2012. In January 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 became the newest aircraft in Garuda Indonesia’s efforts to boost its ‘fleet optimisation’ programme. The aircraft will serve both short- and medium-haul flights on domestic and international routes. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is equipped with an enhanced in-flight entertainment system for passengers. The eight business class seats come with a 13-inch screen while the 162 economy class seats are equipped with an all-new 10-inch screen. Passengers in economy class will also enjoy more leg room as the new seats are designed 30% thinner than the aircraft’s predecessors.

Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2018 | Page 136