The downfall of Garuda Indonesia is pathetic, yet predictable
When I was a child, watching airplanes take off and land at the airport was one of my fondest memories with my family. Those little moments slowly evolved into a dream—to someday be part of the national airline.
I still remember vividly how “Tanah Airku tidak kulupakan, kan terkenang selama hidupku” echoed through the cabin before landing from an international flight. It almost made me cry.
Later in my last semester in college, I decided to focus my thesis on Garuda Indonesia. I studied how frequent flyer members engage with the brand and become loyal. I really hoped that would give me an advantage in the recruitment process. As a leverage.
But quite surprisingly, I failed to pass even the first step—the administrative stage. It’s okay. Life goes on.
Then, Garuda went public. And slowly, things unraveled.
Stories began to surface—signs of long-standing mismanagement and weak governance: fabricated annual income, wrong decisions on buying short-haul aircraft, and lavish global marketing with questionable returns. Also, corrupt behavior among board members.
And of course, years earlier, a citizen was assassinated during a flight by a co-pilot who was later exposed as a state intelligence agent.
Personally, I even tasted the signs of their decline in something as simple as the food they served in their airport lounge. It was unacceptable; the rice was stiff. For an airline that proudly campaigns as a five-star service, this was awful.
We can also look at their stock performance since the IPO. It’s been a free fall. They have lost their grip on the domestic market and their relevance in the region.
I don’t know how to fix them. I have no proposal. But I do believe, somehow, when business interests no longer serve the purpose of the company itself,
we shouldn’t expect a revival any time soon.
This is just a short reflection, written during a flight with another national carrier. Experiencing the competitor’s top-notch service at every customer touchpoint left me with mixed, strange feelings.
Take care of yourself, Garuda.
Thanks for the memories.
Update:
I wrote this mid-air, 2 May 2025. That same evening, Bloomberg reported the grounded jets, Garuda’s Grounded Jets Show Pain in Indonesia’s Airline Sector.
thanthowy 