by AirTreks
10/16/2009 2:35:00 PM
It's official. Garuda Indonesia, the national carrier of Indonesia, is now reinstating its service to Europe. This comes as big news for the airline after being plagued by the demons of an EU blacklisting for the past two years. While only a small fraction of their business came from the 
Europe route, a blacklist can be a severe stigma to overcome in the court of public opinion, often having dramatic effects on an airline's success.
After 2007 and a resolution by the EU Air Safety Committee, no Indonesian carrier has been allowed to land at a European airport due to poor aircraft maintenance standards, no doubt stemming from two crashes by the country's airlines early that year. But recent updates to their fleet and an overhaul of their operations, the airline is resuming their service.
According to the European Commission, "Significant improvements and accomplishments of the Indonesian civil aviation authority are recognized in the area of safety," the EU's executive arm said in a statement.
"Four air carriers -- Garuda Indonesia, Airfast Indonesia, Mandala Airlines and Prime Air -- can be taken off the list because their authority ensures that they respect the international safety standards."
The flight will operate daily from Jakarta to Amsterdam with a stop in Dubai starting June 1st, 2010.
For more on airline blacklisting and what this means to the average traveler see this previous posting on the subject.
Happy Flying!