Garuda Indonesia: The Flag Carrier Between Restructuring and Route Cuts

History and positioning

Indonesia's flag carrier for decades, Garuda went through a debt restructuring procedure (PKPU) in 2021-2022 that profoundly redrew its financial and operating structure. The recovery is not yet complete: the balance sheet recorded a net loss of 323 million dollars in fiscal year 2025, with about 40% of the group's fleet not operating at year-end.

The fleet

The mixed fleet includes Boeing 737s for domestic and regional routes, supported by Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 widebodies on the longest intercontinental routes. The airline has reduced the premium configuration on some models — business seats on the 737s went from 12 to 8 — and has gradually phased out selling first class, now limited to a single active aircraft on the Bali-Tokyo route.

Routes and network

As part of the savings plan, in 2025 Garuda cut several international routes, including Denpasar-Brisbane, Denpasar-Tokyo Haneda and Jakarta-Nagoya, and reduced the frequency of the Jakarta-Amsterdam-London route from daily to five times a week, while still maintaining access to the SkyTeam network for international connections.

On board and service

On board the offering remains that of a full-service carrier with a meal included and a business class on much of the international network, although the reduction of premium seats and the suspension of first class on almost the whole fleet signal a product being scaled back compared with the pre-restructuring years.

What passengers say

• Cabin service still judged courteous and attentive on the intercontinental routes that remain active.
• Convenience of SkyTeam connections for those arriving from international networks.

• Uncertainty over some international routes subject to cuts at short notice.
• Premium product perceived as reduced compared with the past, with first class now almost gone.

Garuda Indonesia remains a good option for anyone flying within the Indonesian archipelago or to Asia who needs SkyTeam connections, but it is worth checking the status of your chosen route before booking an intercontinental flight far in advance, given the context of recent cuts. It is not the safest choice for those aiming specifically at the historic first class product, now limited to a single route and a single aircraft. A practical tip: if your itinerary includes a European or North Asian route that has recently been reduced, always check the updated frequency on the official website before planning your connections, because the flown schedule can change from season to season during this restructuring phase.