Garuda president director Irfan Setiaputra previously announced the airline was considering face shields as an alternative to masks to ensure positive interactions between the cabin crew and travelers.

On Friday, however, Irfan said face shields “will not replace face masks but will complement them instead”.

“We are evaluating the most appropriate and safe PPE [personal protective equipment] to be used by our flight crew while also considering the comfort and freedom of interaction with passengers,” Irfan said in a statement.

Read also: Garuda to require entry permits from Jakarta-bound passengers

Garuda corporate secretary Mitra Piranti said on Wednesday that cabin crews would still wear masks and gloves during flights while the airline waits for a new safety guideline to be issued.

Other forms of PPE will also be issued for flight attendants, including single-use aprons to be worn when serving in-flight meals, he added.

Garuda’s plan to replace face masks with face shields received backlash from social media users, who slammed both the complaining passengers as well as the airline.

"Passengers who complain should just be shoved out of the plane. Why do cabin crew have to risk their health just for the sake of stupid passengers who want to check out [the attendants]?" @polluxa tweeted on Wednesday.

Penumpang yang ngeluh mending disapu keluar pesawat aja. Kenapa awak kabin mesti mempertaruhkan kesehatan mereka cuma demi penumpang goblok pengen cuci mata?

— Polluxa (@polluxa) June 17, 2020

"How can such a thing become a priority instead of the passengers’ and flight crews’ safety?" posted @athenneee.

While allowing airlines to operate regular flights, the Transportation Ministry’s civil aviation directorate general requires flight attendants to wear masks and gloves for their personal safety, except in cases in which wearing such protective equipment would interfere with their safety duties. (mfp)