Indonesia’s national airline Garuda Indonesia is to begin services from London to Jakarta, will be the first and only non-stop flight to connect the UK and Indonesia.
The new service will be operated from their new UK base at Terminal 3 of London’s Heathrow Airport and service is beginning Thursday 31 March 2016. It is expected that seats will be on sale from the third week of February.
As part of the move, the Indonesian flag carrier will increase its service frequency to five times per week, departing every day except Mondays and Fridays. Cutting out the previous stopover at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the service will cater to business travelers travelling to Jakarta and leisure travelers stopping over on their way to the country’s many paradisiacal locations, including Bali. Return flights to the UK will be direct via Singapore.
The move to Heathrow is part of Garuda Indonesia’s strategy to strengthen its presence in Europe and meet its commitment as the national flag carrier, to connect Indonesia to the world.
Jubi Prasetyo, General Manager UK & Ireland says: “Making the move to Heathrow Airport has been an ambition of ours since joining SkyTeam in March 2014. Heathrow’s pivotal role in servicing the alliance’s 1,052 destinations makes it an ideal departure airport for our passengers. Flying non-stop direct to Jakarta means we will truly be the most efficient way to reach Indonesia from the UK.”
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “We are delighted to welcome Garuda Indonesia to Heathrow, securing a regular direct service to one of the largest growth economies in the world. As the UK's only hub, Heathrow is able to support regular direct flights to 75 long haul destinations not served by any other UK airport. With expansion, we can bring the world to Britain's doorstep by adding up to 40 more long haul routes to high growth markets and more than doubling the number of UK cities served. Britain will be the best connected country in the world, at the heart of the global economy. Let's make it happen.”
The non-stop route from Heathrow will continue to utilise the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration. In 2015, the airline’s in-flight service team was awarded World’s Best Cabin Staff by Skytrax for the second consecutive year.
To book flights, visit www.garuda-indonesia.com
