Garuda Indonesia Temporarily Suspends Flights To And From China

Garuda Indonesia aircraft. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The national airline Garuda Indonesia has temporarily suspended flight routes to and from China following the increasing scale of the coronavirus epidemic and the global emergency status set by WHO.

This is in line with the Government's policy regarding the temporary suspension of flight services to and from China which will take effect on Wednesday, February 5 2020 at 00.00 until a later date.

The temporary suspension covers flight services to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou and Xi'an. Currently, Garuda Indonesia serves as many as 30 flight frequencies each week to China.

Meanwhile, flights to and from Hong Kong are still being served under full supervision together with the relevant authorities. The President Director of Garuda Indonesia, Irfaniaputra, stated that the temporary suspension of flights to and from China is a form of Garuda Indonesia's serious attention to efforts to anticipate the spread of the virus by prioritizing aspects of flight safety and the safety of passengers and crew.

"This policy is also a follow-up to Garuda Indonesia's commitment and full support for the government's efforts to prevent the spread of the corona virus in Indonesia, one of which is done by temporarily suspending flight routes to and from China," said Irfan in a statement received by VOI, Monday, February 3.

Furthermore, Irfan explained, Garuda Indonesia continues to monitor the current situation and will take the necessary actions including providing the latest information, especially regarding follow-up on flight operational services.

Through the temporary suspension of flights to China, Garuda Indonesia has implemented a flexible policy of rescheduling and reroute mechanisms for flight services to and from China.

"Garuda Indonesia also recommends prospective passengers to check flight schedules regularly on Garuda Indonesia's official social media channels such as the website, Twitter and Facebook, especially for routes that are prone to the spread of the corona virus," concluded Irfan.