Garuda to launch LA (via Tokyo) flights in 2017, with New York via Europe to follow?

Garuda Indonesia, the country's national carrier, expects its return to the United States next year with three flights a week to generate about five per cent of the airline's top-line passenger revenue for 2017, its chief executive said.

The airline is now negotiating rights to start service from Jakarta to Los Angeles via Japan, Chief Executive Officer Arif Wibowo said in an interview. He said the new flights would be a "milestone" for Garuda, which reported $US3.81 billion ($A4.98 billion) in total operating revenues in 2015.

Garuda's plans follow an August announcement by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that Indonesia's aviation safety performance now meets international standards, allowing its carriers to fly to the United States.

The FAA removed the ability of the country's carriers to fly to the United States in 2007. The southeast Asian nation has struggled with a patchy aviation record.

Garuda is also considering a route to New York via Europe, where it flies to Amsterdam and London.

Read more: http://www.traveller.com.au/garuda-indonesia-to-launch-flights-to-the-us-in-2017-grtkx0