The Garuda Has Risen!

Why Apple Vacations uses Garuda as the Airline for its
2017 KL-Sapporo Charters?

Like the mythical Phoenix, a bird with red, orange and gold plumage, rises anew from the ashes, the Garuda of Indonesia has risen from its most difficult period (1996-2004), renewed and reborn! This came about after the lifting of the European Union ban against Garuda Indonesia and three other Indonesian carriers in July 2009, where Garuda (GA), which also involved the State, immediately undertook an aggressive five-year (2010-2014) restructuring plan known as the Quantum Leap, to overhaul the company. Concerted actions and measures by both the Indonesian competent authorities on policy, regulations and enforcement, and the operator on compliance, management and operations were taken to put GA, the national icon of the country, back on track. The plan, centred on safety management and operations according to international best practices, addressed three critical areas to win back customers.

1. Rejuvenation of aircraft fleet and expansion of network

Introduced newer and modern fuel-efficient aircraft, and doubled its fleet size to boost passenger annual numbers (Fleet as at 2016OCT: 144 aircraft).
Maintained a young fleet of aircraft – average age: 5.1 years (one of the youngest fleets in the world (2016OCT)).
Expanded the network and renewed focus on international markets.

2. Adherence to international aviation safety standards and best practices

GA is IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) certified, and certification valid until 2018SEP08.
GA complied with EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) safety standards and is an Authorised Third Country Operator (TCO).
Indonesia adhered to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards under ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).
Indonesia upgraded to Category 1 status, from Category 2, by the FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration, under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.

3. Improvement of ground and inflight service standards and quality.

Rebranded with a fresh image which included changing the airline’s livery, logo and staff uniform. The new look gave a vibrant feel to “Capture the Spirit of
Friendliness and Professionalism of Indonesia”.
Improved inflight service with better meal choices and amenities.
Retrained both ground and inflight staff to better serve customers.

Embracing change and committed to getting the company back on track with the Quantum Leap program, Garuda Indonesia rose to the challenge and transformed itself into a five-star airline. Today, it ranks amongst the world’s best in all aspects of management, safety and customer service, and, as at 2017SEP Year-to- date (Group total), it carried 26.8 million passengers! With its focus in raising and sustaining the high standards of service since the restructuring exercise started, it earned itself numerous prestigious awards such as Most Improved Airline, 5-Star Airline, and World’s Best Cabin Crew from Skytrax, the global air transport rating organization.

Amongst the coveted awards received are:

2010 : Named Asia’s leading service quality airline by the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation(CAPA).
2012 : Most Improved Airline by Skytrax.
2012 : World’s Best Regional Airline by Skytrax.
2013 : World’s Best Economy Class by Skytrax.
2013-14 : Best Airline in Asia & Australasia at the Passenger Choice Award by Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).
2013-17 : Top 10 Airlines Award, with GA ranked 8th, 7th, 8th, 11th and 10th respectively,in the last five years by Skytrax.
2014-16 : Recognized as a Five-Star Airline, based on consistent and high standard serviceby Skytrax.
2014-17 : World’s Best Cabin Staff, four years in a row, by Skytrax.
2017 : Recognized as “The World 8th Best Airlines For Business Travel” by the CEOWORLD Magazine.

The awards conferred upon GA by Skytrax competed against the likes of the world’s distinguished carriers such as: Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and British Airways, to name a few.

The World Airline Awards by Skytrax are the most coveted quality accolades for the airline industry, often referred to as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, and are a global benchmark of airline excellence. Travellers across the globe take part each year in the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to decide the winners. Skytrax Surveyand Awards Methodology is fully transparent, and the processes remain 100% independent with no payment by any airline or other outside organisation for any aspect of the customer survey or Awards presentation event.

5-Star Airline

Customer safety and care is the foundation of our business. On this premise, we always secure an airline that can satisfy the following three basic conditions for our charter:

Safety management systems that comply with global safety standards
Aircraft used must be of the newer model kept in impeccable condition
Renowned customer service.

Rest assured, GA is a 5-Star Airline meeting these conditions and has good operational capability to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of our customers, and our company, Apple Vacations.

Newest Aircraft – Airbus A330-300 for KUL-Sapporo Charters
The aircraft assigned to operate the charters will be either one of the three newest Airbus A330-300 aircraft in the GA Fleet (Registration/Age:PK-GHA/1.67 Years, PK-GHD/1.25, PK-GPZ/1.83 Years).

These aircraft are configured with 24 Business and 263 Economy Class seats, to give maximum passenger comfort. Information and features include:

Business Class (4 Seats Abreast)

– Begin and end your journey in total comfort and relaxation.

Cabin Layout 1-2-1
Fully flat-bed with Seat/Bed Width of 19.8 inches
Comfortable ergonomic seats that can be converted to fully-flat bed
Spacious Legroom with Seat Pitch at 80 inches
All seats with direct aisle access
LCD Screen 15.6 inches
AC Power and USB port at every seat
WiFi onboard on demand

Business Class (4 Seats Abreast)

Economy Class (8 Seats Abreast)

– Unparalleled experience to enhance your journey.

Cabin Layout 2-4-2
Comfortable ergonomic seats with Seat Width of 16.8 inches
Spacious Legroom with Seat Pitch of 31-34 inches
LCD Screen 11.1 inches
AC Power and USB port at every seat
WiFi onboard on demand

Economy Class (8 Seats Abreast)

Using Garuda Indonesia, a 5-Star Airline, is all about giving our customers a peace of mind for a good journey, arriving relaxed and refreshed!