Indonesian flag carrier airline firm earns international awards

Indonesia's state-run airline firm Garuda Indonesia earned two awards for its service excellence awarded by two international consulting agencies, local media reported Saturday.Garuda earned "2012 Domestic Airline of the Year" as 93.3 percent of 28,000 consumers in Indonesia responded of satisfied flying with the airline throughout last year in a survey carried out by an Australia-based Roy Morgan Research.The award was handed over on Thursday night to Garuda Indonesia President Director Emirsyah Satar here. "The consumers' assessment for Garuda's service excellence was far higher than their assessments for the other airlines operating in Indonesia,"Roy Morgan International Director Ira Soekirman was quoted by the tempo online as saying in the handing over ceremony.The nation's flag carrier airline also received another award titled "ASEAN Premium Airline of the Year"on the same day, awarded by Frost & Sullivan, a U.S.-based international business research and consulting agency.The award was resulted from the agency's research on airline firms providing regular and full service flights that transport at least 20 million passengers per year, airports and plane maintenance service firms.Learning from the survey results, the agency assessed that Garuda Indonesia has demonstrated significant improvements in various operation aspects throughout last year. It made the agency give the award in airline category.Garuda earned "The Best International Airline" award mid last year, awarded by Roy Morgan. It brushed aside Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Emirates and Cathay Pacific airlines to earn the title. The award was resulted from a survey on airlines serving flights to Australia.