The military campaign against Iraq has inevitably affected the world business, including the airline industry and tourism sector.
Garuda has prepared a "contingency plan" and a "crisis centre". The airline will continue to operate on a particular route as long as it continues to yield positive results, operations-wise and commercial-wise. Garuda's load factor on flights to the Middle East has experienced a decline of 30 per cent, where previously they yielded up to 70-80 per cent. As part of efforts to broaden its network in the Middle Eastern region Garuda Indonesia has launched a code-share deal with Qatar Airways on the Doha-Jakarta route via Kuala Lumpur, flying seven flights per week using A-330-600 aircrafts. For Garuda Indonesia, this arrangement cashes in on potential air passengers from both countries.