Garuda Indonesia & Delta Airlines Launch New Partnership

Ambassador Blake hosted a reception at his residence on June 2 to announce new U.S. tourism promotion initiatives, including a partnership between Garuda Indonesia and Delta Airlines. In front of a crowd of over 200 guests, including travel agents, company executives, and government officials, the two airlines announced a code-sharing agreement on flights from Jakarta to Los Angeles and Seattle via Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.  The Ambassador also announced the new Bali-Hawaii Sister State/Province Initiative (BHSSI), which provides a framework for cooperation on sustainable tourism among other programs. Consul General Thurmond Borden spoke about the high number of visa approvals for Indonesian applicants and the embassy’s efforts to streamline and speed up the visa application process.  Masahiro Andachi, Regional Director for Asia Pacific of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, also attended the event to promote Los Angeles as a tourist and incentive travel destination.