Garuda to get B737-500 jet later this month
JAKARTA (JP): National air carrier Garuda Indonesia will receive later this month one of the 17 Boeing B-737 aircraft it ordered from Boeing of the United States during the 1996 Indonesia Air Show (IAS), a company spokesman said yesterday.
Arif Haryanto said that eight more B737s would be delivered later this year.
"So far, as just informed by Garuda's director of operations Dharmadi on Thursday, the delivery will be on schedule," he said.
Garuda signed in June last year a US$1.6 billion procurement contract for 23 Boeing jets comprising 12 B737-300s, five B737- 500s and six B777-200s.
Based on the original schedule, five B737-500 planes will be delivered this year including one in August, two in September and another two in October. Five B737-300 jets are also scheduled to be delivered this year including one aircraft in October, two in November and another one in December.
The other B737-300s will be delivered between 1998 and 1999, while the B777s between 2000 and 2002.
If there is no change, Garuda will also receive next month its third MD-11ER, the final jet it ordered from the former McDonnell Douglas. The state-owned air carrier has ordered three MD-11ERs and selected General Electric engines to power the jets which will replace aging MD-11 aircraft currently operated by Garuda.
Garuda will also receive during July 1998 and January 1999 the delivery of three more Airbus A330-300 aircraft out of six aircraft it ordered from the European consortium Airbus Industrie.
Arga
Garuda, which plans to float part of its shares on the local stock exchange next year, has upgraded its information system to improve its services.
Garuda corporation information system vice president, Samudra Sukardi, said yesterday the company's Automatic Reservation Garuda (Arga) has entered a new generation.
"We are applying a system developed by Atraxis of Swiss Air. This is part of the agreement signed by Garuda and Swiss Air which was renewed last month," Sukardi said.
Garuda's information technology network, which uses very small aperture terminals, was able to handle passengers, ticketing and cargo reservations, hotel reservations, telex systems and departure control systems, he said.
"We will be able to provide better services and avoid false information on seat occupancy which frequently happens. The system is fairer for passengers," Sukardi added.
One of the advantages of the upgraded system, he added, was that Arga could serve multi-hosting, meaning that other domestic air carriers were able to participate in the network.
"When successfully operated, I think Arga could be a separate business just like other reservation service providers in foreign countries," Sukardi said.
He said the upgraded Arga aimed to support Garuda's plan to become a world class air carrier in the next few years. (icn)