Garuda Indonesia has placed a firm order for 11 more Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
The contract was signed yesterday in Jakarta by Garuda’s President & CEO Emirsyah Satar, and Tom Williams, Executive Vice President of Programmes for Airbus, in the presence of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The order is the third to be placed by Garuda for the A330 since July 2010, with the carrier now having ordered 21 of the wide-body aircraft. All the aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.
Garuda will operate the new aircraft in a two-class cabin configuration on routes from its hubs in Jakarta and Bali to destinations in Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.
“The A330 has proven to be a key element in the success of the revitalised Garuda Indonesia,” said Satar. “The low seat mile cost and high passenger appeal make the aircraft a perfect fit for our fleet and a firm favourite with our passengers.”
“We are pleased to extend our long-standing partnership with Garuda Indonesia,” said Williams. “The A330… offers proven reliability, low operating costs and one of the most comfortable cabins in the sky. This winning combination makes it the preferred choice of airlines worldwide and will enable Garuda Indonesia to realise its full potential as a premier international carrier.”
The A330 is one of the most widely used twin-aisle aircraft in service today. Having debuted in 1994, more than 800 A330s are currently flying with some 90 operators worldwide.
Garuda currently operates 14 A330s – eight A330-200s and six A330-300s.
