It Is Difficult To Predict When The Aviation Industry Will Recover, Garuda CEO: It Will Take A Long Time

Garuda Indonesia aircraft. (Photo: Angkasa Pura II)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian National Airline Association or INACA is optimistic that the domestic aviation industry will experience a recovery even though it is currently still being hit by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and the world.

"We remain optimistic that the aviation industry in Indonesia will be able to recover even though it is admitted that it will take a difficult time to predict," said INACA Chairman Denon Prawiraatmadja as quoted by Antara , Friday, October 16.

According to Denon, in 2019 the aviation industry in Indonesia was actually quite good, although not as good as 2018. However, in 2020 the aviation industry has been hit again by the pandemic since March, although it slowly began to move up in July and the following months.

The optimism of the aviation industry, he said, is also supported by Indonesia's geographical condition which consists of many islands so that it is in dire need of air transportation to carry passengers and goods / cargo.

"Under such conditions, the aviation industry is really needed and even contributes to national growth," he said.

Chairman of the INACA Board of Trustees, Irfan Satiaputra, said that 2020 is indeed full of turbulence and challenges for the aviation industry, because at least there are two crises faced, namely health and economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic that has hit the world for at least the last eight months, he said, many airlines in the world have gone bankrupt and it must be admitted that the aviation industry in Indonesia has been hit even though it continues to try to survive and carry out the mandate of shareholders.

"It still takes a long time to recover to normal conditions, but we are still optimistic that this industry will continue to grow considering it has strategic value and contributes to national economic growth," said Irfan who is also the President Director of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.

INACA, he said, had often carried out a campaign flying in Indonesia was safe, comfortable, and healthy so that people didn't have to worry about flying using a national airline.

"Based on our research, people who fly today do have to fly, but there are only a few who want to fly," he said.