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Garuda Indonesia in pact with Boeing to buy 28 aircraft
BY OUR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT
18 September, 2005, Jakarta: State-run Garuda Indonesia said it would buy 28 passenger aircraft from US-aircraft maker
Boeing. The deal is worth more than $ 2 billion, analysts said.
The break up of the purchase, as announced by the airline, includes 18 narrow body 737-800s and 10 787-800s. A
deal was signed on September 15 in the presence of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was on
an official trip to the United States.
Garuda Indonesia would make use of the 737-800 aircraft for its flights to China. The Dreamliner 737s would be
used for its flights to Europe, the airliner said in a statement released on Friday. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner’s maiden
flight is scheduled for 2007.
Garuda Financial Director Alex M.T. Maneklaran said the double-engine 787 Dreamliner will carry 240 passengers.
Dreamliners are able to travel up to 15,700 kilometres or 8,500 nautical miles without a stop. That would cover
the distance between Indonesian capital Jakarta and Vancouver or London. The deliveries for the order placed by
Garuda would, however, is scheduled to begin only in 2011.
Garuda’s consists of 51 Boeing aircraft and six of Boeing’s archrival, European aircraft maker Airbus. It may be
recalled that Indonesian low-frills airline Lion Air had entered into a pact with Boeing in May to purchase 60 aircraft
from the 737-800s and 737-900s. Industry watchers have pt the size of the deal at $3.9 billion.
The aviation industry in Indonesia is witnessing a boom after the Asian financial slump in 1997-78.
BY OUR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT
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