Garuda may face acute shortage of pilots
The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta
The proposed expansion by national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia over the next four years will likely result in an acute shortage of pilots given that Garuda has lost many pilots to other airlines in recent years.
Garuda’s operations manager, Captain Samat, said in Jakarta Monday that the airline could suffer a shortfall of at least 242 pilots by 2010 if it did not manage to train and retain more pilots.
Samat said that although the airline had an excess of more than 68 pilots currently, “we need to recruit more beginning 2007 to satisfy the fleet expansion plan.”
Meanwhile, Garuda operations director Ari Sapari said in Jakarta on Monday that the airline was considering leasing three Boeing 737-800 aircraft this year as part of its expansion up to 2010.
Garuda said that the aircraft might be used to reestablish direct links to such places as Dubai, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London.
“We hope that three Boeing 737-800 aircraft will begin serving these additional destinations next year,” he said. The fleet expansion, Ari said, was essential to the airline’s survival amid fierce competition from other airlines on both domestic and international routes.
Ari admitted that Garuda would need to hire more pilots beginning next year even though it currently had 68 pilots too many.
“We have 609 pilots at present. The ideal number should be 541,” he added. “That’s why five of our pilots have been temporarily assigned to Biman Airline of Bangladesh, another seven pilots to Asiana Airlines (South Korea), and another ten to Malaysia Airlines,” he added.
Cash-strapped Garuda is seeking financial assistance worth about US$105 million from the government to help it repay its debts and finance its expansion plan. The government has agreed but the aid package still needs the approval of the House of Representatives. At least 120 Garuda pilots have moved to other airlines since 2003 in search of better pay and conditions. At least 20 other pilots have resigned due to ill health or other reasons.