An aircraft of Indonesia’s national flag carrier PT Garuda (Photo: AFP/VNA)Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s national flag carrier PT Garuda hasordered a total of 14 Airbus A330-900 neo aircrafts from France to expand itsbusiness operations.
The move came after the airline cancelled its order for 49 Boeing 737 MAX 8jets, which have been involved in two deadly crashes within the last sixmonths. Garuda explained that the cancelation was made over the loss ofpassengers’ trust in the safety of the plane.
Wayan Susena, technical director of PT Garuda, said that the delivery of theFrench-made aircraft will be taken within the next 20 years, starting from2019. Three of the planes are scheduled to be delivered to Indonesia fromSeptember to December this year, he added.
The aircraft will be used to serve international routes.
Last month, a 737 Max 8 jet flight under EthiopianAirlines came down minutes after leaving the Addis Ababa airport, killing all157 passengers and crew on board. This tragedy followed the Lion Air jet incidentof the same model which crashed into the Java Sea in October 2018 and left all 189people on board dead.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transport has grounded allBoeing 737 MAX 8 planes in the country, one of which is possessed by PT Garuda.
Indonesia’s Lion Air is seeking to switch a22-billion-USD order of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, 9, and 10 jets with other typesof Boeing aircraft. –VNA
VNA
