... will not compromise on our high-quality services as a five-star airline company...Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Publicly listed airline company PT Garuda Indonesia is economizing its operational costs by some 5 to 10 percent to save US$200 million.
This move is part of efforts towards efficiency to cover its debts from the third quarter of 2014, which amount to Rp2 trillion.
"We are increasingly becoming more secure in the face of future competition. We will slash our operational costs by about 5 to 10 percent as a strategy towards efficiency," President Director of Garuda Indonesia M Arif Wibowo said after signing an agreement on hedging cooperation with a number of banks here on Monday.
"We hope to save US$200 million in operational costs," he said.
However, Wibowo noted that the tightening of operational expenditures will not be at the cost of the quality of services offered by the national flag carrier, a five-star airline.
"We will not compromise on our high-quality services as a five-star airline company," he affirmed.
In addition, Garuda will also procure 15 airplanes in 2015, which will include three Boeing B-777-300s, two Airbus A330-200s, and ten ATR planes.
Among the airplanes currently owned by Garuda are 11 Airbus A200s, 11 Airbus A320-200s, one Boeing B-737-300, two Boeing B-747-400s, four Boeing B-737-500s, 75 Boeing B-737-NGs, six Boeing B-777-300s, 15 Bombardier CRJ-1000s, and eight ATR 72-600s.
With additional aircraft, Wibowo pointed out, Garuda will also increase the frequencies of its flights from 600 to 650.
"We will also reinforce our access to various regions with feeder flight routes, using propeller and explorer Garuda airplanes," he stated.
Furthermore, Garuda will serve 17 of its 44 routes with ATR planes this year, Wibowo revealed.
With regard to overseas routes, the national flag carrier is looking at China because the growth of passengers along this route is high.
However, Wibowo noted that the tightening of operational expenditures will not be at the cost of the quality of services offered by the national flag carrier, a five-star airline.
"We will not compromise on our high-quality services as a five-star airline company," he affirmed.
In addition, Garuda will also procure 15 airplanes in 2015, which will include three Boeing B-777-300s, two Airbus A330-200s, and ten ATR planes.
Among the airplanes currently owned by Garuda are 11 Airbus A200s, 11 Airbus A320-200s, one Boeing B-737-300, two Boeing B-747-400s, four Boeing B-737-500s, 75 Boeing B-737-NGs, six Boeing B-777-300s, 15 Bombardier CRJ-1000s, and eight ATR 72-600s.
With additional aircraft, Wibowo pointed out, Garuda will also increase the frequencies of its flights from 600 to 650.
"We will also reinforce our access to various regions with feeder flight routes, using propeller and explorer Garuda airplanes," he stated.
Furthermore, Garuda will serve 17 of its 44 routes with ATR planes this year, Wibowo revealed.
With regard to overseas routes, the national flag carrier is looking at China because the growth of passengers along this route is high.
So Garuda has decided to switch its flight frequencies from Japan to China, opening a Bali-Beijing route.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
