The airline boosts SkyTeam’s presence in Australia with service to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney; and in Tokyo with flights to both Narita and Haneda airports.  Garuda will increase its service to Europe in May this year with a new route between Jakarta and London’s Gatwick airport.

As part of the requirements of joining SkyTeam, Garuda is implementing the alliance’s customer-focused initiatives. These include SkyPriority –priority airport services for Elite Plus, First and Business Class passengers worldwide – which has been rolled out at over 900 airports globally. Effective immediately, Garuda’s 19 million annual passengers will be able to earn and redeem miles when flying on SkyTeam member-operated flights. Members of other SkyTeam airlines’ frequent flyer programs can also earn and redeem miles when flying on Garuda Indonesia operated flights.

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 access to 564 lounges worldwide. The 20 members are: Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines and Xiamen Airlines. SkyTeam offers its 588 million annual customers over 15,700 daily flights to 1,064 destinations in 178 countries.

www.skyteam.com / www.facebook.com/skyteam / www.youtube.com/user/skyteam

About Garuda Indonesia

Presenting a new level of service excellence in air travel, Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia, seamlessly connects more than 64 destinations worldwide to not only one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia, but also an exotic locations in the beautiful archipelago of Indonesia all at once. With approximately 500 daily flights and a fleet of around 130 aircraft, Garuda Indonesia proudly serves our passengers with the award-winning "Garuda Indonesia Experience" service, which highlights Indonesia’s warm hospitality and rich diverse culture. 

The airline continuously strives, through its ongoing transformation program, to provide better and more convenient services with one of the youngest fleets in the sky, which should grow to around 194 aircraft by 2015. For further information, please log on to www.garuda-indonesia.com or follow @IndonesiaGaruda on Twitter and PT.GarudaIndonesia on Facebook.

Garuda’s membership of SkyTeam will facilitate travel to Indonesia - Southeast Asia’s largest economy - for customers around the world. Garuda operates nonstop flights from Jakarta, the nation’s capital and financial center, to seven SkyTeam hubs: Seoul, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Amsterdam.

Garuda Indonesia’s President  & CEO, Emirsyah Satar, expressed his gratitude to SkyTeam and all of the member airlines for all the support given to the airline thus far. Joining SkyTeam is a long-term development strategy for Garuda Indonesia, as planned in the airline’s strategic expansion program “Quantum Leap 2011 – 2015”, and Garuda has been upgrading its service and actively forging cooperation with SkyTeam member airlines with this objective in mind.

“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 Malé. “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.