Garuda Indonesia the safety reforms already undertaken were a step in the right direction for the EU to consider lifting the ban, but still did not satisfy the EU's aviation safety standards, and thus, did not lift its ban. The ban was lifted in July 2009, after which Garuda began evaluating service to Amsterdam and other European destinations, as well as the United States. Following the lifting of the EU ban against Garuda Indonesia and three other Indonesian carriers, the airline announced in July 2009 an aggressive five-year expansion plan known as the "Quantum Leap". The plan involved an image overhaul, including
Garuda Indonesia Flight 865 involved was the fifth of the six, PK-GIE. The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, registration PK-GIE. One of six (PK-GIA to PK-GIF) in the Garuda fleet at the time of the accident, it had its first flight on 24 April 1979 and was delivered to Garuda Indonesia on 27 July 1979. Eighteen years and eleven months old at the time of the accident, it was the 284th DC-10 built; its MSN number was 46685. The aircraft had three General Electric CF6-50C2 turbofan engines for propulsion. The cause of the engine failure leading to the crash was that the