TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Garuda Indonesia's Kartini Flight features all-female pilots, cabin crew, groundcrew
Change Size
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti and captain Ida Fiqriah clasp hands before the Kartini Flight on Saturday, April 21. (Garuda Indonesia/File)
Garuda Indonesia held a special Kartini Flight to celebrate Kartini Day on April 21.
The GA 204 Kartini Flight that departed from Jakarta to Yogyakarta featured pilots, cabin crew and ground crew who were all female employees of Garuda Indonesia. Among them were captain Ida Fiqriah, who is the carrier’s first ever female pilot, co-pilot Melinda, flight service manager Evi Soenarjono and aircraft release engineers Pita Hadi Sriwahyuni and Dessy Purnamasari.
According to a press release, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was among the passengers on the flight, alongside two of the national flag carrier’s female executives, General and Human Resources director Sari Suharso and Domestic Marketing director Nina Sulistyowati, as well as several other senior managers of state-owned enterprises.
Read also: Women traffic police wear ‘kebaya’ while on duty
“Garuda Indonesia deserves praise for arranging this special flight. The involvement of female pilots, cabin crew and ground crew is proof that women can work amid technological advancements and career dynamic challenges,” said Susi prior to takeoff.
Nina said the company expects to make the Kartini Flight an annual event, which celebrates RA Kartini, a national hero and a source of inspiration for Indonesian women.
The company has over 4,500 female employees, from ground crew, aircraft technicians to co-pilot and captains. Twenty-nine of the airline’s pilots are women.
To celebrate Kartini Day, Garuda Indonesia is offering a series of promotions for female customers, including up to a 21 percent discount on tickets, a 2,100 air miles bonus and free access to Garuda lounges in Jakarta, Medan and Balikpapan throughout April. (kes)
