GARUDA Indonesia has placed a firmed order for 25 Airbus A320 aircraft for its low-cost subsidiary Citilink, with an option to purchase a further 25.
Garuda president and CEO, Emirsyah Satar, said: “The purchase is part of our plan to develop the capacity and competitive advantage of Garuda Citilink, in line with the continuous growth of the domestic and regional low-cost market.”
Citilink will take delivery of the aircraft in batches of five per year, starting in 2014.
Citilink currently operates six Boeing 737-300 and 737-400 aircraft, and intends to gradually overhaul its fleet with Airbus A320 aircraft, which are 15 per cent more fuel efficient, according to Satar.
“Apart from the low operational cost, the A320 is suited to operate on high density routes, and the delivery schedule is faster than other type of aircraft,” he explained.
In the meantime, Sriwijaya Air has ordered 20 Embraer 190 jet aircraft to expand its domestic network.
Sriwijaya Air president, Chandra Lie, said the 100-seater Embraer 190s would replace its smaller aircraft, allowing the carrier to launch routes to untapped destinations.
