By James Wilkinson

Garuda Indonesia is set to return to Europe from June 1 next year, following a five-year absence.

Garuda Indonesia’s new Airbus A330-200

Flying brand-new, two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, the airline will commence services from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Dubai and Garuda Indonesia President Emirsyah Satar says it marked a significant milestone for the carrier.

“We have set an aggressive five year growth strategy for the airline that will allow Garuda to take its place alongside other leading international airlines in the Asia Pacific region. Establishing a strong presence in Europe is an important element of meeting these targets,” he says.

“Along with new aircraft, new routes and increased frequency around the network, Garuda is investing heavily in developing a service culture built around the Garuda Indonesia Experience both in the air and on the ground,” Satar says.

The Amsterdam services will feature Garuda’s new livery and interior design, along with new seats and touch-screen LCD screens in all both business and economy classes.

Garuda’s new state-of-the-art entertainment system features audio and video on demand with a choice of 25 feature films, 250 audio tracks and 25 games.

The airline currently has ten Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on order and once the delivery commences, the route will go non-stop from Jakarta and also allow Garuda to commence services to other European cities, such as Frankfurt, London and Paris.