Airbus secures order from Indonesia’s national airline Garuda for 14 A330 jets

UK manufacturing received a boost worth nearly £1 billion on the first day of Indonesian President Jokowi’s visit to Britain.

Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s national carrier, has signed a deal today at Downing Street which will secure jobs at Airbus Broughton and the Filton site in Bristol as well as the extended supply chain across the UK.

The agreement with Airbus and Rolls-Royce for a £4 billion deal to upgrade the airline’s 14 A330s to the newer A330neo, which will be worth nearly £1 billion to the UK economy.

The deal was signed at a ceremony in London in the presence of the President of Indonesia, His Excellency Joko Widodo and PM David Cameron.

Garuda Indonesia plans to use the A330neo to develop its medium and long haul network, with the aircraft offering cutting edge technology along with more efficient operations.

The order replaces and extends an existing order for seven A330-300 aircraft, and the A330neo will be delivered from 2019 onwards.

The agreement was signed on the first day of a 2-day visit to the UK by Indonesian President Jokowi, who met Prime Minister David Cameron this morning to discuss the strengthening of economic and security ties between the 2 nations.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“This deal underlines the increasing importance of our ties with Indonesia – a fast growing economy and set to become the seventh largest in the world by 2030.

We are the fifth biggest investor in Indonesia and our relationship has more untapped potential. We want to encourage more British businesses to seize on these opportunities and we will continue to support them by banging the drum for British skills and expertise.”

Airbus Chief Operating Officer Tom Williams said:

“We are delighted to welcome Garuda Indonesia as a new customer for the A330neo.

The A330neo will bring a range of benefits from unbeatable operating economics, including significant reductions in fuel consumption, lower maintenance costs and extended range capability. The aircraft will have Airbus’ all new Airspace cabin which will ensure the A330 continues to be a benchmark for passengers and airlines alike.”