Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine November 2018 | Page 6

4
Voice of Garuda
VOICE OF
GARUDA
Dear valued Garuda Indonesia customers,
The beauty of Indonesia stretches from
Sabang in the west to Merauke in the east,
with its group of islands that resemble
jewels. No wonder the archipelago
is dubbed the Equatorial Emerald.
One of Indonesia’s gems is found in
the heart of Sulawesi. In Palu to be exact,
the capital of Central Sulawesi province.
It is hard to imagine that the city is
now destroyed after a devastating
earthquake followed by a tsunami that
occurred in late September. The entire
Garuda Indonesia Group, and of course
the rest of the world, feels deep sorrow
and extends condolences to all the victims
of the disaster in Palu.
To show our support, the day after the
earthquake, Garuda Indonesia carried out
a ‘Humanity Flight’ on the Makassar–Palu
route to transport officers and distribute
humanitarian assistance to the victims.
In an intensive effort, Garuda Indonesia
coordinated with all airport-based service
stakeholders to ensure that the aircraft
could immediately fly to Palu after the
closure of the Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie
Airport. The smooth operation of flights
from Makassar to Palu became our
top priority.
Due to the earthquake, and limited
runway capability of Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie
Airport, Garuda Indonesia could only
operate the ATR 72-600 aircraft.
Garuda Indonesia also assigned special
personnel, Andi Ichsan Tahir, Senior
Manager Line Station Management, to
serve as Station Manager at the airport. both in the workplace and wider
world in general.
With very limited infrastructure –
minimal electricity supply, interrupted
communications, and only a handful of
personnel working manually – Andi
worked on in good spirits. He and his small
team worked from dawn until late at night.
In the first 72 hours after the earthquake,
Andi continued with little sleep. We also commend the efforts of
Capt. Abdul Rozaq, who evacuated and
rescued the residents of one of the hotels
that collapsed in the earthquake. At that
time, Capt. Abdul Rozaq was on duty
to fly to Palu.
“It’s because I had to coordinate and
prepare the aircraft from start to finish,”
he said. “The team and I even had to make
calls, to coordinate with Makassar – while
unloading the aid material from the cargo
plane. Sometimes to be able to make a
call, I had to climb a tree,” he added.
Many personnel were off duty because
they were searching for relatives who
were affected by the tsunami, and
the communication services were
very limited.
Despite spending the night in makeshift
tents at the airport parking lot, with
little to eat, it did not diminish their
determination and persistence. Andi and
the team ensured that Garuda Indonesia
flights ran smoothly, carrying refugees,
volunteers and logistical support.
Andi Ischsan’s leadership skills and
persistence, secured the smooth operation
of Garuda Indonesia flights, and reflected
the commitment of the national airline's
work culture – to always prioritise the
principles of responsiveness and safety,
The importance of initiative during
critical situations was sorely tested in
these extreme conditions.
We are grateful that the Garuda Indonesia
team in Palu was successfully evacuated,
and we are proud of their dedication to
providing unlimited service to the public.
Last but not least, we would like to thank
you, our customers, for your trust
in choosing to fly with Garuda Indonesia.
Best wishes,
Flytizen
Garuda Indonesia