Garuda Indonesia has confirmed the appointment of Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan – the former interim chief executive of low-cost operator Lion Air – as its new CEO.
The appointment follows a shareholder meeting held on 15 November. Panjaitan replaces Garuda’s former CEO Irfan Setiaputra, who has led the airline since 2020.
Panjaitan is a former air force pilot who joined the Lion Air Group in 2013, according to local media reports. The 43-year-old helmed the safety and operations of Lion’s full-service unit Batik Air and was subsequently appointed as interim CEO of Lion Air in 2022.
Following his appointment, Panjaitan says his management team will focus on three areas: a “comprehensive review” on Garuda’s finances and operations, cost and revenue optimisation, as well as network – and subsequently fleet – expansion.
“The challenges ahead are enormous, but with the support of all stakeholders, solid cooperation between ranks, and the trust of the Indonesian people, we are confident that we can make Garuda Indonesia fly higher,” Panjaitan says in a social media post.
State-owned Garuda saw its nine-month losses widen - despite revenue growth - as expenses continued to increase. This was also despite restructuring efforts in 2022, which saw its fleet and network significantly pared back.
Under Setiaputra’s tenure, which spanned most of the Covid-19 pandemic, Garuda focused on blaance sheet repair, while growing its airline partners. It deepened commercial partnerships with existing partners like Singapore Airlines and Vietnam Airlines, and worked on launching a joint business with Japan Airlines.
