Garuda finds voice after years of hurt

By: Unknown on 17:58

You’ve got to take your hat off to Garuda. The Indonesian national carrier last week became only the seventh carrier in the world to achieve a five-star rating from Skytrax.This comes just five years after the airline embarked on its ‘Quantum Leap’ strategy, which aimed to transform it from the national carrier of the country with the world’s grimmest aviation safety record, into a modern, global airline.If Garuda was a contestant on American Idol, it would be the one whose “incredible journey” is played out to some kind emotional song, like ‘Everybody Hurts’ by REM. And let’s face it; in the bad old days, flying with Garuda could hurt. In the 30 years between 1979 and 2009, accidents on Garuda aircraft claimed the lives of more than 600 people. And then in 2007 it was then blacklisted from European airspace on safety grounds – a ban that stood for two years.As part of its turnaround plan, Garuda has relaunched flights to EuropeThe ad man tasked with improving Garuda’s image once told me that the biggest challenge he faced was that people considered flying with Garuda to be unsafe. But of course, no ad campaign could discuss air safety. A strapline like ‘Garuda: crash-free since 2003’ would be both off-putting and, frankly, inaccurate.Instead, he focused on the modernisation of Garuda’s fleet and cabin products. New planes, new seats, improved in-flight dining and new cabin crew uniforms showed what a modern airline Garuda has become. It also joined SkyTeam, putting it on an even footing with the likes of Air France, KLM, Delta and Korean Air.But for all its recent progress, is it accurate to call Garuda one of the seven best airlines in the world? Bear in mind that the other six include Hainan Airlines, and that Malaysia Airlines’ five-star status is under review, and you might start to think that Skytrax ratings are, well, somewhat subjective.Earlier this year Etihad decided to withdraw from Skytrax after questioning its selection criteria. This came as the airline unveiled a raft of new cabin products, including a three-room ‘Residence’. Before it withdrew, Etihad was ranked as a four-star carrier, along with Saudi Arabian Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and Air Mauritius.But whatever the case, Garuda certainly deserves a huge amount of credit for turning its fortunes around so quickly. They have successfully shaken off the image of rusting old planes carrying one man and a flock of chickens between Ambon and West Papua, to become a modern, international airline.As the national carrier of Southeast Asia’s biggest country, it’s great to see that Garuda has finally found its voice.