Observer: Garuda Indonesia Is Unfortunate Because Hajj Moment Clashes With European High Season

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Aviation observer Gerry Soejatman assesses that the 2024 Hajj transportation service by the airline Garuda Indonesia is good, but it has decreased due to coinciding with the "European High Season" or the peak season for tourist visits in Europe.

"We have to understand why (the Hajj transport service) has decreased? Here we can see it, because 'unfortunately' the timing of the Hajj season clashes with the European High Season," said Gerry, quoted from Antara. Monday 15 July.

According to Gerry, the Hajj flight season coincides with the European High Season since 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this problem has had no effect.

He revealed that in 2021 and 2022 the volume of Hajj will be small so it can still be covered by Garuda Indonesia's own fleet. Then, in 2023 summer season demand for Garuda's wide body aircraft will still not be high so it can still be covered by its own fleet.

"In 2024, demand for Garuda wide body aircraft will increase, and at the same time demand for this year's European High Season will also increase," said Gerry.

He mentioned that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Eid al-Adha was in the European holiday season. At that time, Garuda was forced to take planes from less qualified airlines.

However, at that time, said Gerry, so that Hajj flights were not affected by risks, Garuda flew Hajj flights using its own plane, while regular flights used rented planes.

"The result was that the Hajj flight was in order, but the regular flight was a mess, and that was very detrimental to Garuda because it damaged its reputation," he said.

According to Gerry, from now until the next few years, it will be difficult for Garuda to find quality rental aircraft vendors for Hajj flights.

This is due to the Hajj flight season being in contact with the European High Season, and this will happen for the next few years.

European High Season is the time period when tourist visits reach their peak when warm and sunny weather makes tourist destinations in Europe very popular. During this period, aircraft orders also tend to be higher.

According to him, the high season in Europe affects Hajj flights because the airline provides good rental aircraft and is usually used by Garuda, all for high season and there is no spare capacity that is usually rented.

"As a result, the risk of disruption to Hajj flights this year is quite high," he explained.

Gerry noted the number of cases that occurred, namely the first Boeng 747 Terra Avia (Moldavia) plane in Makassar whose engine caught fire due to a compressor stall.

Second, the Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-200ER in Solo went on strike for several days; third Airbus A340, of the two that arrived only 1 arrived at the beginning of the departure phase; and the fourth San Marino Executive A330-300 which had to make an emergency landing again in Solo due to engine failure.

"This is different from the planes rented by Garuda from Thai Air Asia which tend to be trouble free during the Hajj season, just like the Lion Air A330 planes used by FlyNAS to Africa during the Hajj flight season which are also relatively trouble free this year," he said. Gerry.

He added that the leased aircraft is an ACMI lease or wet lease, where the provider, apart from providing the aircraft, is responsible for providing crew, aircraft maintenance and aircraft insurance.

"So maintenance problems that occur on rented Hajj aircraft are the responsibility of the provider, not Garuda Indonesia," he said.

Gerry hopes that Garuda Indonesia will make efforts to lobby airlines that provide aircraft that can be rented for the Hajj so that they can/will rent them to Garuda in a better Hajj season next year.

"After next year, the number of airlines willing to lease will start to increase because the repatriation phase will not be completely in the European High Season," added Gerry.

Previously, Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra emphasized that his party continues to intensify various mitigation measures in optimizing the smooth running of Hajj flights to ensure that the focus on aviation safety can continue to be maintained.

He did not deny that there were several crucial records of flight delays at the departure of a number of departure groups from several embarkations, one of which was due to a number of flight schedule adjustments for the departure groups.

"We ensure that the management and all the teams on duty will continue to work hard to make every effort to improve this, including by optimizing the readiness of the Hajj flight fleet through the use of aircraft that are currently operated for regular flights," said Irfan in a statement in Jakarta, Monday 27 May.