I’m Not a Magician

Monday, February 15, 2021

Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Setiaputra inherited a plethora of problems when he joined the national flag carrier last year. Now, if he is not exploring maneuvers to turn the financially-distressed company around amid dwindling number of passengers or taking care of the thorny plane rental contract, Irfan shepherds Garuda as a pivotal airline in distributing Covid-19 vaccines. Armed with extensive experience in leading various companies, Irfan Setiaputra pulls out all the stops to restore Garuda Indonesia’s image as a bona fide airline.

Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Setiaputra during the interview with Tempo at Garuda Indonesia’s Office Building, Kebun Sirih, Jakarta, February 10. Tempo/Tony Hartawan. tempo : 178114122227.

AS he steers the national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia through the devastating effects of the pandemic, Irfan Setiaputra faces another major problem, a knotty negotiation with Nordic Aviation Capital on the cessation of the aircraft lease contract that ended up with him making a unilateral decision. “We grounded and returned the planes. I decided it unilaterally. ‘See you in court,’” said Irfan during a special interview

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