The history of Garuda Indonesia

24 May 2013 02:06:00

Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia itself has been around a long time even before Indonesia's independence, in the 1940s to be exact. But the airline's anniversary falls on January 26th, 1949. The airline was not formerly named as Garuda yet but the Indonesian Airways. Garuda name itself was a gift from the first president of Indonesia, President Soekarno.

On December 25th, 1949, Dr. Konijnenburg which was the representative of KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) and a friend of President Soekarno reported to the President that KLM was originally a Dutch company which Indonesia shares grow by 51% that based on the Round Table Conference (RTC), it would fall into the hands of Indonesia. Dr. Konijnenburg met President Sukarno, who at that time was in Yogyakarta to ask for the company name to the President for the aircraft to be flown from Yogyakarta to Jakarta will be recorded in accordance with the company name.

At that time President Sukarno gave answers by quoting one line from one famous Dutch poem created by Noto Soeroto in colonial times, "Ik ben Garuda, Vishnoe's vogel, die zijn Vleugels uitslaat hoog boven Eilanden uw" ;. The meaning of the poem that I am Garuda, Vishnu's bird spread its wings towering above your islands. Garuda bird is a mythical bird puppet in the legend also became a symbol of the Republic of Indonesia.

Historic flight occurred on December 28, 1949, it was the flight of DC-3 with registration PK-DPD owned by KLM Interinsuilar. The historic flight took President Soekarno for Yogyakarta-Jakarta route for his inauguration as president of the Republic of Indonesia (RIS). With a new name, Garuda Indonesia Airways and the new logo given by President Sukarno, the airline took off in a dashing until now. Garuda Indonesia Airways is also the first airline in Indonesia.