Garuda Indonesia Raking It In During Idul Fitri Holiday

1 min readJul 11, 20167:21 AM

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Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia filled more seats on its domestic flights during the Lebaran exodus this year, as more people chose air travel to return to their hometown for Idul Fitri.

The state-controlled airline’s average load factor — which indicates how much an airline makes use of its seat capacity — went up to 74 percent from June 24 to July 5, a day before Idul Fitri, on all of its domestic routes, Benny S. Butarbutar, Garuda Indonesia’s vice president of corporate communication, said on Saturday (09/07).

Benny did not give a figure for last year’s Idul Fitri holiday.

Still, the latest figure could mark a turnaround for Garuda. The full-service airline had seen its load factor dip to 69 percent in the first three months of this year, compared to 74 percent in the same period last year, as weak economic growth forced cost-conscious travelers to opt out of the airline’s services.

Garuda added 32,000 more seats on 132 extra flights, 112 of which are on international routes, between June 24 to July 17 to cater for Indonesians during the annual Lebaran exodus, Benny said.

“This represents a 35 percent increase in our extra capacity from the same period last year,” Benny said.

The National Police estimated 17.6 million people made the travel back to their hometown during the Lebaran exodus this year. Ouf of that figure, 4.6 million chose air travel, up 7.6 percent from a year ago as people’s purchasing power has increased and local airlines offer new fleets and routes.

Air travelers met with relatively few problems during this year’s Lebaran exodus compared to their peers taking land routes, who were met by hellish traffic jams on toll roads across Java.

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What this means

Garuda Indonesia's 74% domestic load factor during Idul Fitri suggests a promising turnaround from its Q1 dip, driven by increased purchasing power and a growing preference for air travel. This move effectively capitalises on seasonal demand, a strategy budget carriers like AirAsia have long used successfully. While Garuda added 32,000 seats, its challenge remains converting this peak-season success into consistent profitability given prior economic headwinds. The additional 112 international extra flights highlight the airline’s ambition to compete globally, but it also risks overextending if demand wavers outside holiday periods. This success puts pressure on rivals to similarly boost capacity and service quality. We must now watch whether its Q3 financial results confirm this positive trend.

Wei Zhang · Retail News Asia newsroom

Questions & Answers

What was Garuda Indonesia's average load factor during this year's Idul Fitri holiday period?

The state-controlled airline's average load factor on domestic routes reached 74 percent from June 24 to July 5. This figure indicates how effectively the airline used its seating capacity during the holiday.

How many extra seats did Garuda Indonesia add for the Lebaran exodus, and on which routes?

Garuda added 32,000 more seats across 132 extra flights to cater for travellers during the Lebaran exodus. 112 of these additional flights were on international routes.

How did Garuda Indonesia's load factor perform in the first three months of this year compared to last year?

Garuda's load factor dipped to 69 percent in the first three months of this year. This is a decrease compared to the 74 percent achieved in the same period last year.

What was the total number of people who travelled by air during this year's Lebaran exodus?

Out of an estimated 17.6 million people travelling, 4.6 million chose air travel during the Lebaran exodus this year. This represents a 7.6 percent increase from the previous year.

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