Garuda to continue freighter fleet expansion
17 / 10 / 2019
Garuda Indonesia B737-800BCF
Garuda Indonesia and GECAS have entered into a lease agreement for two B737-800 Boeing-converted freighters (BCF).
The passenger-converted aircraft are slated to be phased in mid-2020 and will provide additional capacity to Cargo Garuda Indonesia, which currently utilises a fleet of three freighter aircraft.
GECAS said that B737-800 freighters are perfectly suited to short and mid-range routes which form the basis of Garduda’s scheduled network.
From its base Cargo Center at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport near Jakarta, the carrier provides dedicated cargo services for mail and express shipments as well as e-commerce and general cargo shipments, accommodating cross-border online purchases.
“GECAS is excited to provide these converted 737-800 freighters to Garuda as they expand their dedicated cargo fleet,” said Richard Greener, GECAS senior vice president and manager of the cargo aircraft group.
“We look forward to working with GECAS in implementing the latest Boeing 737-800 freighter into our fleet,” stated Mohamad Iqbal, Garuda Indonesia Director of Cargo and Business Development. “These newly converted 737-800 freighters will assist our growing operations as well as expanding our cargo programme.”
Over the last year various reports have emerged suggesting the scope of Garuda’s freighter fleet ambitions – from four in 2019, to as many as eight in 2020.
