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Garuda Indonesia optimizes fleet utilization for cargo flight network expansion (garuda-indonesia.com) - 

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will optimize its export logistics business in a bid to bolster recovery of the company's performance.

"The growth trend of the national export sector is an imminent momentum for efforts to optimize supporting business lines," Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra stated in Jakarta, Friday, July 16.

Setiaputra noted that these businesses are run by the company amid the brunt borne by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on cargo and charter.

Statistics Indonesia's report recorded a consistent increase in Indonesia's export traffic, with a growth rate of 54.46 percent in June 2021, much higher from that during the corresponding period last year.

Setiaputra was optimistic of positive sustained growth in Indonesia's export sector, thereby benefiting the company's business in future.

Until May 2021, the Garuda Indonesia Group recorded freight transport growth of up to 35 percent higher as compared to the same period in 2020.

That consistency aligned with the cargo business performance at the end of last year. The company managed to record air freight transport traffic that reached 99 percent of the cargo transport performance during the pre-pandemic period.

Garuda Indonesia will optimize fleet utilization for cargo flight network expansion to support direct call activities in top export commodities.

Moreover, the company will support Indonesian MSMEs, one of which is through the operation of two passenger freighter fleets that currently serve several domestic and international cargo flights.

"Now, the cargo business line is one of the main focus areas of Garuda Indonesia's business revenue in the midst of a fall in the passenger transport traffic that occurred since the pandemic struck last year," Setiaputra stated.

In its financial report for the fiscal year 2020, Garuda Indonesia recorded operating income of US$1.4 billion, supported by scheduled flight revenue of US$1.2 billion, unscheduled flight revenue of US$77 million, and other revenue lines of US$214 million.

The state-owned airline also recorded a 35.13-percent decrease in flight operating expenses to reach US$1.6 billion as compared to US$2.5 billion in 2019.

"Garuda Indonesia is optimistic of it being more agile and adaptive in accepting the aviation industry’s challenges in future," Setiaputra noted//ANT