Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia had its inaugural flight on 26 January 1946, from Calcutta to Rangoon, using a Douglas DC-3 with the tail number RI 001, named Seluwah. It operated as Indonesian Airways. President Sukarno changed the name to Garuda Indonesia Airways in November 1946, later Garuda Indonesia. [4]
The golden age of the airline started in 1956, when it operated Hajj flights using its eight Convair CV-240s. In 1963, it operated flights to Tokyo via Hong Kong using three Lockheed L-188 Electra. In 1965, Garuda expanded its destinations, with flights to Cambodia, China, Paris, Athens, and Prague. It also opened routes to Amsterdam from Jakarta, with stopovers in Bangkok, Mumbai, Karachi, Cairo, Rome, and Frankfurt. Australian routes were also introduced. Upon former CEO Reyn Altin Johannes Lumenta's request, Garuda dilated its route map, with services to Los Angeles via Honolulu in 1990, operated using the McDonnell Douglas MD-11. [5] [6]
The airline's fall began with two crashes in 1996 and 1997. The 1997 Asian financial crisis caused Garuda to abruptly terminate its intercontinental services, though Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and London services were continued until 28 October 2004. The September 11 attacks, 2002 Bali bombings, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and SARS outbreak further contributed to the fall of the airline. It climaxed in 2007, when the crash of Flight 200 prompted the European Union (EU) to ban Indonesian airlines in its airspace. [6] [7]
After the EU lifted its ban in July 2009, [5] Garuda began an aggressive five-year expansion plan known as the Quantum Leap, involving an image overhaul. [8] Using the Boeing 777-300ER Garuda reopened flights to London via Amsterdam. [9] However, after years of success thanks to the Leap, Ari Askhara taking over the CEO position made the airline inconsistent in destinations; [10] his leadership has drawn criticism. [11]
Singapore Airlines is the flag carrier of Singapore with its hub located at Changi Airport, and a member of the Star Alliance. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in the corporate branding segment. Widely renowned as one of the best carriers, the airline is ranked as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and it has also been ranked as the world's best airline five times. The airline operates a variety of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, namely the A350, A380, Boeing 737, Boeing 747 Freighter, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787.
Swiss International Air Lines AG, stylized as SWISS, is the flag carrier of Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, as well as a Star Alliance member. It operates scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Zurich Airport serves as its main hub and Geneva Airport as its secondary hub.
Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport near Jakarta. A successor of KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, it is a member of SkyTeam airline alliance and the second-largest airline of Indonesia after Lion Air, operating scheduled flights to a number of destinations across Asia, Europe, and Australia from its hubs, focus cities, as well as other cities for Hajj. It is the only Indonesian airline that flies to European airspace.
EVA Airways Corporation is a Taiwanese international airline headquartered in Taoyuan City. It is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan along with state-owned China Airlines. The privately-owned airline operates passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe & North America. Its network fully consists of international routes, with no domestic routes. It is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and is the second largest airline based in Taiwan after China Airlines. EVA Air is headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport in Luzhu, Taoyuan City. The company slogan is "Sharing the World, Flying Together".
Kuwait International Airport is an international airport located in the Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, 15.5 kilometers (9.6 mi) south of the centre of Kuwait City, spread over an area of 37.7 square kilometres (14.6 sq mi). It serves as the primary hub for Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways. A portion of the airport complex is designated as Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, which contains the headquarters of the Kuwait Air Force, as well as the Kuwait Air Force Museum.
Heydar Aliyev International Airport is one of the seven international airports serving Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev International Airport is the busiest airport both in Azerbaijan and in the South Caucasus as well as one of the busiest in the post-Soviet countries. Formerly, it was called Bina International Airport after a suburb of the Azerbaijan capital Baku. On 10 March 2004, the airport was renamed after the former president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. The airport is 20 kilometers northeast of Baku, connected to the city by a highway. It serves as the hub for national carrier Azerbaijan Airlines as well as for Azal Avia Cargo, Buta Airways and Silk Way West Airlines.
JSC Uzbekistan Airways, operating as Uzbekistan Airways, is the flag carrier of Uzbekistan, headquartered in Tashkent. From its hub at Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, the airline serves a number of domestic destinations; the company also flies international services to Asia, Europe and North America.
King Abdulaziz International Airport, is a major international airport serving the cities of Jeddah and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Jeddah and covering an area of 105 square kilometres (41 sq mi). The airport is the busiest in the kingdom and the third-largest by land area. Opened in 1981, it was built to replace the now-demolished Kandara Airport and is named after the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz.
İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport is an international airport serving İzmir and most of the surrounding province in Turkey. It is named after former Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes.
Air Cairo is a hybrid airline based in Cairo, Egypt. The airline is part owned by Egyptair. Air Cairo operates scheduled flights to the Middle East and Europe and also operates charter flights to Egypt from Europe on behalf of tour operators. Its bases are Cairo International Airport, Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and Hurghada International Airport with the company head office located in the Sheraton Heliopolis Zone.
PT Citilink Indonesia, operating as Citilink, is an Indonesian low-cost airline headquartered in Jakarta. Established in July 2001 as a low-cost brand of Garuda Indonesia, it operates services to domestic and regional destinations. Since 30 July 2012, Citilink has officially operated as a separate subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, operating with its own callsign, airline codes, logo, and uniform. Its main base is Soekarno–Hatta International Airport and Juanda International Airport. The company slogan is Better Fly, Citilink.
Antalya Airport is a major international airport located 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of the city centre of Antalya, Turkey. It is a major destination during the European summer leisure season due to its location at the country's Mediterranean coast. It handled 31,210,119 passengers in 2022, making it the second-busiest airport in Turkey after Istanbul Airport. The airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal. Antalya is one of the major airports in southwestern Turkey, the others being Bodrum and Dalaman. Among the top 50 busiest airports in the world by passenger numbers in 2021, Antalya saw the highest growth in passenger numbers at 125.8%. The airport's passenger numbers that year were among very few international airports to reach a level which matched or exceeded a normal operational year in the 2010s decade.
Milas–Bodrum Airport is an international airport that serves the Turkish towns of Bodrum and Milas. The airport is situated 36 km northeast of the town of Bodrum, and 16 km south of Milas.
Hurghada International Airport is the international airport of Hurghada in Egypt. It is located inland, 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of El Dahar, the city centre of Hurghada. It is the second busiest airport in Egypt after Cairo International Airport and an important destination for leisure flights mainly from Europe.
Over time, commercial airlines have established a number of scheduled ultra long-haul non-stop flights. These exceptionally long routes reduce the travel time between distant city pairs as well as the number of stops needed for passengers' travels, thereby increasing passenger convenience. For an airline, choosing to operate long flights can also build brand image as well as loyalty among a set of flyers. Therefore, competition among airlines to establish the longest flight occurs.
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Terminal 3 is an international terminal of Soekarno–Hatta International Airport serving Greater Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located on northeast side of the airport. Terminal 3 has a different style than other terminals of the airport. Terminal 1 and 2 were built with incorporation of the local architecture into the design, but Terminal 3 is built in contemporary modern design with environmental friendly and traditional sense. The terminal was first named as Terminal 3 Ultimate but later it was decided to integrate with the old Terminal 3.
JetSmart Airlines S.A., styled as JetSMART, is an Argentine airline owned by ultra low-cost carrier JetSmart, itself owned by Indigo Partners, a firm that also has stakes in US-based Frontier Airlines, Mexico-based Volaris, and Hungary-based Wizz Air. The airline uses the branding and corporate identity of JetSmart, its parent company, and operates a fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft with a base at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires. Its aircraft are registered in Argentina.