[AMcWhirter]

Although Garuda has announced nothing on an official basis … it’s now being reported in the specialist aviation media that its planned non-stop Jakarta-LGW service has been dropped.

Instead, as has been reported above, the LGW service will be one-stop via Amsterdam.

Start date for Garuda’s London service is expected to be in September but even that date might be postponed if the carrier is unable to secure the right landing/take-off slots at LGW.

[JohnHarper]

Alex, as you have posted an article is this now confirmed?

[AMcWhirter]

John – Unfortunately confusion still surrounds Garuda’s plans for Europe.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/100338/garuda-axes-plans-to-fly-jakarta-to-lgw-non-stop

Provisional schedules from the end of May show Garuda operating five non-stop flights a week between Jakarta and Amsterdam using a B777-300ER (the only plane in its fleet which can cover this distance non-stop).

GA088 Jakarta-Amsterdam 0055-0940
GA089 Amsterdam-Jakarta 1235-0715

Clearly there is insufficient turnaround time at Amsterdam to operate a tag flight to London Gatwick. So if that flight does go ahead (and it would appear Garuda is trying to acquire revised Gatwick slot times) then the Amsterdam-Jakarta flight would have to be pushed back to a later departure time.

The Gatwick flight was supposed to start in September but as you will have read in our online news piece, a Garuda executive indicated that this too might be put back a few weeks.

That’s really all I know at the present time.

[Vertrek]

Hi Everyone,

Was a pleasure to share the information with you all. 🙂
It is disappointing to hear that GA had axed direct LGW plans, but as Alex wrote and from what I heard from a close source, it has now been confirmed that London will be served via Amsterdam, the target date for the route for London is 5th September 2014, while direct CGK-AMS route will start on 30th May 2014.

The logic is simply KLM and the ever growing strong economic and political relationship between The Netherlands and Indonesia. Apparently the Netherlands has open up Rotterdam as Indonesian investors gateway to the country and the EU, and so does Indonesia to Dutch investors as an agreement signed during Rutte’s cabinet and investors visit to Indonesia four months ago.

For now, what is clear is that GA will focusing in strengthening their partnership with KLM to serve destinations in EU and the Americas. Therefore, effective from 30th of May it has been confirmed that GA will stop all services to UAE, their AUH route will be served by codeshare partner, Etihad.

Have a good week ahead and safe travel to all. 🙂

[AMcWhirter]

As I mentioned above, Garuda HQ in Jakarta has confirmed that it is in negotiations with LGW to obtain new time slots. That would seem to be the reason why the Jakarta-Amsterdam service is starting before the LGW tag flight.

Garuda is still giving September 8 as the official LGW start date. But bear in mind that further changes are possible.

I quote, ” Garuda has decided to postpone its flights from and to London from May to September 2014, in order for the airline to offer passengers the ideal flight schedule from Amsterdam to London.”

[AMcWhirter]

Latest news from Garuda, via airlineroute.net, is that the carrier will operate a one-stop service from Jakarta to London Gatwick via Amsterdam.

Provionsal start date for the London route is September 7 with an arrival into Amsterdam and Gatwick on September 8. As already reported in BT, Garuda will roster a newish B777-300ER for this service. Flights will operate five times a week.

To my surprise, it’s understood that Garuda has obtained traffic rights between Amsterdam and Gatwick.

All information is subject to change.

[Author]

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