As one of the attempts in increasing service for the customer, especially for the customer in Eastern Indonesia region, as well as an attempt in increasing network, starting from Friday (27/7), Garuda Indonesia will open a new route: Balikpapan- Singapore.

The flight in this route is actually an extended flight of Makassar-Singapore (return) route. Garuda Indonesia provides the flight four times a week, which are in Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

Every Monday, Friday, and Sunday, the aircraft (GA848) will depart from Makassar first at 08.55 Central Indonesian Time (CIT), and then arrive in Balikpapan at 10.05 CIT. The flight then departs from Balikpapan to continue to Singapore at 10.55 CIT and arrives at 13.10 LT. Next flight from Singapore to Balikpapan will depart with GA 849 at 16.25 and arrive in Balikpapan fat 16.25, and then the flight will continue to Makassar at 17.15 and arrives at 20.20 CIT in Makasar.

Meanwhile, every Wednesday, Garuda Indonesia serves Makassar-Balikpapan-Singapore-Balikpapan-Makassar flight with Departure time from Makassar (GA 848) at 07.55 CIT and arrival time in Balikpapan at 09.05. Then, the flight departs from Balikpapan at 09.55 CIT to be arrived at 12.10 LT in Singapore. After that, the flight departs again from Singapore at 13.10 LT and arrives in Balikpapan at 15.35 CIT to continue to Makassar at 16.25 CIT that arrives at 17.30 CIT. This flight will be operated using Boeing 737-500 which capacity is 96 passengers, with configuration for executive class 12 passengers and Economy class 84 passengers.

Garuda Indonesia hopes that by opening this route it will be easier for the customer in Singapore to visit Indonesia, and it will give them another alternative city beside Jakarta, Denpasar, and Makassar because Balikpapan is one of the Eastern Indonesia gateway with a rapid business growth. This route is also expected to become a facility for Garuda Indonesia customer especially who works in oil and mine field in East Kalimantan who wants to go for a family visit, business, or vacation in Singapore. This route is also expected to increase the economic activities, tourism, and social culture between the two cities.

Through network developing program, Garuda Indonesia have also opened Denpasar-Haneda, Jakarta- Taipei, and Bandung-Surabaya before, and also added the flight frequency from Jakarta to other big cities, like Jakarta-Pekanbaru which frequency is added from five times to six times a day and Jakarta-Batam which is added from four times to five times a day.

Besides, through “Quantum Leap” program, especially with its fleet expansion program, in this year of 2012, Garuda Indonesia will accept 21 new aircrafts which consist of four B737-800NGs, two A330-200s, and ten A320s dedicated to Citilink. From these twenty-one new fleet additions, Garuda has to date received one B737-800NG and one A330-200 in February. With the arrival of these new aircraft, in 2012 Garuda’s fleet will be a total of 105 airplanes with an average of 5,8 years old. Through the “Quantum Leap” program, Garuda Indonesia will operate as many as 194 aircraft by 2015.