Garuda Indonesia was voted the Best Global Airline in Economy Class at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2013. The Indonesia-based airline beat global players such as Singapore Airlines and South Korea’s Asiana Airlines to achieve this recognition. Further, the carrier moved up a few notches in the global rankings to secure the eighth position among the top airlines in the world.
In 2012, Garuda Indonesia’s bottom line grew by 80 per cent: the carrier recorded a net income of $145.4 million and revenue of $3.47 billion. Since the launch of its Quantum Leap programme a few years ago, the company has adopted a phased approach in an endeavour to achieve financial growth and transform the corporate culture of the airline through the institution of global best practices. As part of its aggressive expansion programme, Garuda Indonesia introduced several new routes over the past two years: Garuda has added direct flights to Melbourne, Sydney, and Shanghai, with plans for direct flights to the UK in the near future. Furthermore, it expanded its fleet of aircraft: apart from the six new aircraft it has already received in 2013, Garuda expects to get 24 more planes by the end of the year.
