REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JEDDAH - Indonesian state-owned airline, Garuda Indonesia, signs a service contract, including maintenance and reconfiguration, with five Nigeria's airlines.

"The three year contract worth 60 million USD has been signed and witnessed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Abuja," Executive Director of Garuda Indonesia, Emirsyah Sattar, said on Monday.

Sattar said several airlines in Nigeria also used Garuda service named Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF) to maintain, fix and reconfigure their fleets.

"They take their fleet to Jakarta for maintenance. Nigeria even asked Garuda to open a hangar in Lagos," he said.

According to Indonesian Embassy in Abuja, five Nigerian airlines have signed the contract with Garuda. They are Max Air, Kabo Air, Aero Contractors, and Silver Bird. Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Sudirman Haseng, said if Max Air and Kabo bought a new airplane, the airplane would be taken to Indonesia to change its interior before it was being operated.

"GMF has maintained four airplanes of Max Air and two of Kabo Air. They seem happy with our service," Haseng said.

Minister of Industry, MS Hidayat, welcomed the new cooperation. "It means the world recognize our service," he said.

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