Garuda Indonesia (GA, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) will add eight aircraft to its fleet over calendar 2024, according to Indonesian news outlets, which cite comments by CEO Irfan Setiaputra. Those aircraft reportedly include four B737-800s, two B777-300ERs, and two A330-300s.
However, the reports, notably concerning the widebodies, contradict Setiaputra's comments to ch-aviation during a late January 2024 interview in Jakarta where he said: "We may take up some additional widebodies later this year, but it is not confirmed. Meanwhile, we are focusing on our network assumptions on what aircraft we have today."
Garuda Indonesia does plan to procure additional wet-leased widebodies over the Hajj season. Setiaputra told ch-aviation that negotiations were well-advanced, but he was yet to lock in all the leases. The temporary use of wet-leased aircraft over the busy religious pilgrimage period is an established practice at Garuda.
Garuda added four leased B737-800s to its fleet in 2023, the first additions to that sub-fleet type since 2015. Speaking to ch-aviation, Setiaputra did not disclose any plans to add to the B737-800 fleet this year. Instead, he said he was focusing on making a fleet renewal decision by the end of the year. The prospective order for 40 - 50 aircraft will likely come down to a contest between the B737-8 and A320N types.
