Garuda re-exploring plans for flights to US in 2017

Garuda Indonesia plans to re-explore the feasibility of starting flights to the United States in 2017 if the national flag carrier passes Category 1 test of safety and security standards as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Next year, we will try and clear this test as it is part of our five year plan, or this may be achieved even earlier,” the Garuda Indonesia President Director, M Arif Wibowo, said here on Wednesday.

He noted that 400 thousand passengers travel from the US to Indonesia every year.

The cities which receive maximum visitors are Los Angeles and New York, he added.

“The number of potential passengers departing from Los Angeles is 120 thousand, while many more depart from New York,” Arif said.

The flights will transit through Narita, Japan and will use two units of Boeing 777.

“Actually, we want to start direct flights but that is not possible as of now. The option is to fly via Narita, Japan,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Air Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Suprasetyo, said the audit result of the FAA will be declared by July 2016 at the latest.

“We have completed and reported all the documents and are optimistic that we can achieve our target,” he added.

The Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation at the Transportation Ministry, Mohammad Alwi, said the last seven documents related to flight inspection have been reported online to the FAA auditors.

“All the documents have been accepted. God willing, this July we will receive the good news as Ramadan and Eid gift,” he said.

According to him, if Garuda is awarded Category 1 status, then its aviation safety standards and security aspects must conform to international standards, in line with the flag carriers in the same category.