Concerning The Director Of Overseas Using Office Facilities, Garuda Indonesia Management: Personal Costs

Garuda Indonesia aircraft. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk has responded to allegations by the employee union that Irfan Setiaputra, as the president director, misused company facilities for vacations with family in America and Europe.

Vice President Corporate Secretary & Investor Relations Mitra Piranti said Irfan traveled to the United States primarily to attend the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit 2021.

The event is scheduled as a meeting of global airline leaders to discuss various challenges in the aviation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, Mitra emphasized that the agenda was specifically planned to be attended directly by Irfan during the annual leave period.

"The annual leave has been approved in accordance with applicable regulations and has also been submitted to the Ministry of SOEs," he said in an official statement, Thursday, October 28.

Regarding family vacations, Mitra said that all vacation expenses were borne by Irfan personally.

"In this regard, all costs (travel) incurred will be borne personally," he said.

In addition to attending the IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit 2021, Mitra said that during the trip, Irfan also took the time to schedule 15 important meetings.

"With a number of strategic partners of Garuda such as manufacturers, lessors, airline partners, to financial advisors in relation to discussions on accelerating the company's restructuring process," he explained.

Furthermore, said Mitra, on a separate occasion, Irfan also took the time to meet with cargo and ground handling partners in Amsterdam to discuss the focus of increasing cargo services from Amsterdam to Indonesia.

Previously, the Central Executive Board of the Employees Union (DPPSK) of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk sent a letter to the Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir to complain about the alleged abuse of company facilities by Irfan.

In the letter numbered SKGA-06/257/X/2021, the General Chairperson of the Garuda Indonesia DPPSK Dwi Yulianta said that Irfan admitted to leaving with his family in fulfilling the invitation of the International Air Airport Association (IATA).

Dwi said that Irfan with his wife, children, son-in-law, and two grandchildren traveled while attending the International Air Airport Association (IATA) meeting which was held from 3 to 5 October 2021.

Irfan and his family departed using a Garuda Indonesia aircraft with flight number GA088, Jakarta-New York via Amsterdam on September 30, 2021.

However, it was changed to Jakarta-New York via Incheon/Seoul for flights on the same day, with flight number GA878 business class.

Then, it was explained that Irfan and his family returned to the country with the Amsterdam-Jakarta flight route with flight number GA089 and using business class on October 16.

Responding to the recognition of the president director of Garuda Indonesia, the PT Garuda Indonesia Employee Union expressed its attitude that in the current situation of Garuda, the company urgently needs the attention of the President Director for 24 hours. Therefore, the President Director must prioritize the company's financial condition.

"Secondly, we are very concerned, it turns out that apart from attending the invitation from October 3-5, the President Director admitted that the person concerned continued to vacation with his family and only returned to Jakarta on October 16, 2021," he said, quoted in the report, Wednesday, October 27.