Repairing Indonesia’s Wings

AGUS SUPARTO

President Joko Widodo departed for Rome, Italy using a Garuda Indonesia aircraft (GIA-1), Friday (29/10/2021) at 9.15 WIB from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten. In Rome, the President will attend the G20 Summit on October 30-31. The trip continued to Glasgow, United Kingdom to attend the COP 26 Summit on November 1-2 and to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for a bilateral visit.

"I am Garuda. Vishnu's bird that spreads its wings over your islands,” said Raden Mas Noto Soeroto, a journalist and writer.

Bung Karno chose the name Garuda for the national airline of Indonesia. Today, at the age of 72, Garuda Indonesia is sick. As experienced by many parts of the world's population, Garuda Indonesia's condition has worsened due to Covid-19. However, Garuda Indonesia is also not alone because most of the world's airlines are also currently ailing.

The good news is, despite the fact that the airline is not so healthy, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo still chose to fly by Garuda Indonesia on his trip to Europe. The President's choice to board a plane painted in red and white, with the Garuda Pancasila logo, is even interpreted as the government's position to the take side of the national airline. Garuda is still getting support.

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The existence of support from the government, of course, is relieving. Garuda Indonesia is clearly still needed by the residents of this archipelagic country. Thus far, only air transportation can support the mobility of people from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua, which is equivalent to the distance from London to Baghdad, in a matter of hours.

When the Covid-19 pandemic is considered to be under control and some residents are beginning to fly, they are surprised to find the condition of our air transportation. Due to being in poor health, Garuda, for example, has been forced to reduce its network or flight frequency on various routes. This step is taken in order to enable Garuda to survive.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A Garuda Indonesia plane landed at Domine Eduard Osok Airport, Sorong, West Papua on a transit flight from Manokwari, Thursday (22/4/2021). Sorong Airport is the main entrance to Papua for the distribution of goods and travel via air transportation. Its strategic location makes Sorong develop as a center of economic growth in Eastern Indonesia.

We certainly hope that Garuda can still fly. This hope is mainly because Garuda has been a reminder for other airlines not to serve the Indonesian people arbitrarily. Garuda has thus far consistently implemented high standards of safety and service.

We highly appreciate the moral support from President Jokowi. However, support for this national airline must be more detailed because so far, Garuda Indonesia's total debt has swelled to Rp 70 trillion (US$4.9 million). Without a proper debt settlement strategy, on paper, it will be difficult to pay the debt.

Garuda should be saved because this is the airline we are proud of, regardless of the sins of its managers in the past.

Garuda certainly has to change. Garuda must be more efficient. Garuda management must adopt the values of low-cost airlines in order to have a reserve of funds in times of crisis.

However, now it is clear that Garuda must be made healthy first to continue flying. Garuda should be saved because this is the airline we are proud of, regardless of the sins of its managers in the past.

We are waiting for the government's decision, either in the form of an injection of funds or in the form of clarity on Garuda's "backing" airline, a position previously held by Merpati. Indonesia clearly still needs Garuda Indonesia as the country's wings.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.