Garuda Reopens Flight Service To London

London, Sept 9 (Antara) - A Garuda Indonesia plane landed at Gatwick airport at 12.25 hours on Monday local time marking the resumption of the airline`s flight service to London, Britain. Indonesian ambassador to Britain and Ireland Hamzah Thayeb, Garuda Britain`s representative office head Jubi Prasetyo and Garuda London sales manager Christina Vidos welcomed passengers disembarking from the Boeing 777-300 Jumbo Jet with captain Sumarhudojo as the pilot and Bayu Perwira the co-pilot. One of the passengers, Giring, the vocalist of the Nidji music band, said "it is a very comfortable flight with all the internet facility available to make me able to contact my family in the country." Jubi Prasetyo said to Antara the flight from Jakarta to London via Amsterdam finally happened after it was long delayed. "It has given personal satisfaction to me that Garuda finally flies from Jakarta to London," he said. He said the reopening of the flight service had answered questions from the British market about it. Ambassador Hamzah Thayeb said the reopening of the flight service to London was an important element to strengthen the relations and cooperation between the two countries. This would provide an option for passengers from Britain who wish to travel to Southeast Asia for business as well as tourism, he said. Representing Britain, Richard Graham MP, the British prime minister`s trade representative for Indonesia, said Britain supported the service and would use it and hoped it could be fully done every day a week. "Garuda will be a world class airline," he said. Gatwick airport commercial officer Guy Stephenson hailed the flight service saying that it has been prepared jointly by Gatwick airport and Garuda office since 2010. The executive director of UK-ASEAN Business Council, Rosa Hunter, also hailed the flight service in view of the big number of British businessmen cooperating with their partners in Indonesia. Rosa hoped Garuda could later fly directly from London to Jakarta.