Garuda Indonesia's Response To The Downing Of A Chinese Airlines Boeing 737-800NG

Illustration of a Garuda Indonesia airplane. (Antara/Muhammad Iqbal)

JAKARTA - Garuda Indonesia has issued a statement regarding the crash of the Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft belonging to the China Eastern airline on Monday, March 21.

President Director of Garuda Indonesia, Irfan Setiaputra, said that his party is currently coordinating with stakeholders. This is an effort to optimize the governance of safety aspects in Garuda flight operational services.

"We would like to convey that Garuda Indonesia is currently conducting intensive coordination with aviation authorities, both the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation and the manufacturing sector regarding the results of the investigation evaluation of the incident," said Irfan in an official statement, Tuesday, March 22.

Irfan admitted that the B737-800NG aircraft was one of the fleet types operated by Garuda Indonesia to serve passenger and cargo flights. For this reason, it has also continuously gone through layered inspection procedures and continued periodic inspections of vital and supporting features of the airworthiness of the B737-800NG aircraft referring to flight safety regulations.

"This is done to ensure the condition of the aircraft is in serviceable and optimal condition when it will fly," said Irfan. Then, he said, his party also carried out training and assessments for pilots which were carried out routinely through pilot proficiency checks on the B737-800 NG simulator. This is to ensure that the capabilities of the flight crew regarding safety mitigation and understanding of the functions of each system in flight operations on each type of fleet have been fully mastered.

"(This is) in order to maintain the security and safety aspects of flights as the main priority focus of Garuda Indonesia flight services," said Irfan.

In the midst of the search for the plane and victims on flight MU5375 China Eastern, it conveys its deepest condolences for the events that occurred.

"Hopefully all parties affected by this incident will be given strength and fortitude, and the process of finding the plane and investigating the cause of the accident can be completed in the near future," he concluded.