Aviation info.

[harryopal1]

PT Garuda Indonesia is in talks to buy Boeing planes as the flag carrier seeks to expand its international network, its CEO said.

The airline is discussing buying between 50 and 75 jets from the US manufacturer, including 737 Max 8 and 787-9 models, Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.

Panjaitan, speaking after a meeting with Indonesia’s Coordinating Economic Minister, declined to give a time frame or state whether any transaction would form part of expected Indonesia-US trade and investment deals.

Garuda’s board appointed Panjaitan as CEO in November, he was at Lion before. He was tasked with fixing the company’s balance sheet and expanding its international network. The airline, which recorded a net loss last year, recently secured a $405 million loan from sovereign wealth fund Danantara to help expand its fleet.

The company aims to operate 120 aircraft over the next five years, compared to the 98 now (with low-cost carrier Citilink).

When you look at the way some executives misused Garuda to carry large goods for them to avoid paying customs duties it is clear that there is a mindset that sees the airline as their personal gravy train and will do anything, no matter the cost to the country, to keep things afloat. As for taking on another 50 to 75 new jets it has not been unknown for aircraft manufacturers to pay handsome facilitation fees to those involved in the purchase loop.

 

[jstar]

More than a week ago (on April 10) a new entry system went into effect in the EU countries. The European Entry and Exit System (EES) is the digital system that registers non-EU citizens at the border. The system replaces the manual passport stamp with a digital registration of each entry and exit.

The immigration officer takes a photo and scans the fingerprints of every traveler who travels to Europe for the first time. That data is linked to the passport data in a digital file and that data replaces the old stamps. With the next trips, this should save time.

In Amsterdam (Schiphol) it created a lot of extra work though. The reason was that the self (passport) scan system for EU citizens didn’t work. So everyone had to go via the manual check. And the waiting time for arriving travellers went up to a staggering 4 hours.

 

[centurion]

More than a week ago (on April 10) a new entry system went into effect in the EU countries. The European Entry and Exit System (EES) is the digital system that registers non-EU citizens at the border. The system replaces the manual passport stamp with a digital registration of each entry and exit.

The immigration officer takes a photo and scans the fingerprints of every traveler who travels to Europe for the first time. That data is linked to the passport data in a digital file and that data replaces the old stamps. With the next trips, this should save time.

In Amsterdam (Schiphol) it created a lot of extra work though. The reason was that the self (passport) scan system for EU citizens didn’t work. So everyone had to go via the manual check. And the waiting time for arriving travellers went up to a staggering 4 hours.

The system is a mess, makin the Indonesian bureaucracy actually pretty competent comparing to the EU one.

 

[Balifrog]

The system is a mess, makin the Indonesian bureaucracy actually pretty competent comparing to the EU one.

EU loves to make everything difficult.
Except if you are an illegal "refugie".....

 

[jstar]

United Airlines has cut its profit expectations for 2026. For this, the American airline points to the kerosene prices, which have risen due to the war in the Middle East, United's kerosene costs did increase by 12.6% to $3 billion in the first quarter.

United did report better than expected results for the past quarter though. Revenue rose 10.6% during the first three months to about $14.6 billion. Net profit climbed by 80% to $699 million.

 

[Balifrog]

Corruption, mismanagement....

And one should not forget this :

"currently banned from Europe. The European Union lifted its ban on all Indonesian airlines, including Garuda, on June 14, 2018, due to improvements in safety standards. The carrier was originally banned in 2007 following serious safety concerns and fatal accidents."

"Background: Garuda and all other Indonesian carriers were added to the EU Air Safety List in July 2007, barring them from operating in European airspace"

 

[jstar]

We have discussed those EU bans intensively at the previous forum many years ago and it was very clear that it often came down to use of forms, changes in procedures etc. Nothing that would be jeopardizing for the travelers.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

The system is a mess, makin the Indonesian bureaucracy actually pretty competent comparing to the EU one.

I used it last October and it was fine. Some countries have implemented it without a problem and some have completely messed up.

 

[serious_fun]

EU loves to make everything difficult.
Except if you are an illegal "refugie".....

It seems to me that it's quite easy to enter the "EU" as a fugee. Dump any documents once you've arrived in a country and the authorities can't deport you! It has worked for countless military aged men who have arrived unaccompanied (apparently the horrible persecution 'back home' never applies to females and children?) Spain may even allow you to have legal status, allowing free movement throughout the 'community'!

Watch out for your daughters.

 

[jstar]

Now we complain a lot but in the United Kingdom, a total of 1,300 flights were canceled yesterday due to a technical problem with British air traffic control NATS. Reported by FlightRadar24 last night on X.

For the time being, 177 flights also have been canceled today, all from London Heathrow. Some travellers said they were trapped in a plane for six hours late last night, which ultimately did not take off. There is also still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen today

 

[Helpful Herbert]

I missed the UK problems by 12 hours. And last week I missed the Indonesian closure by 4 hours. Feeling pretty lucky at the moment

 

[Jaime C]

I missed the UK problems by 12 hours. And last week I missed the Indonesian closure by 4 hours. Feeling pretty lucky at the moment

The third time is the charm!

 

[pantaiema]

It seems to me that it's quite easy to enter the "EU" as a fugee. Dump any documents once you've arrived in a country and the authorities can't deport you! It has worked for countless military aged men who have arrived unaccompanied (apparently the horrible persecution 'back home' never applies to females and children?) Spain may even allow you to have legal status, allowing free movement throughout the 'community'!

Watch out for your daughters.

While the situation across the EU is challenging, the UK faces an even greater issue.

Undocumented migrants (posing as refugees) who originally enter Europe via Greece, Italy, an now Spain, some of them will make their way to French coastal locations like Calais and Dunkirk to await an opportunity to cross the English Channel in dinghy boats. Upon arriving on British soil, they will claim a refugee status. They will then be transported by coach to three-star hotels, where they will receive complimentary hotel quality buffet and an allowance for pocket money.
Later, Legal representation (their lawyer), the court battle to contest deportation in court could ultimately exceed $1 million per individual, with the entirety of these costs funded by taxpayers.

They can then easily secure illegal employment in sectors such as food and parcel delivery or ride-hailing services. Blame that to the extreme lefty government across Europe, ECHR, ECJ, The EU. And just look at the rise of the far-right movement in Europe such as AfD in Germany, the National Rally (RN) in France, Reform in the UK, PVV in the Netherland.

This raises a contrast with how Indonesian government historically handled "genuine" Rohingya refugee and earlier, Indochinese boat refugees who arrived by sea. The Indonesian government dragged the boats where there is a high risk that sending this sailing boat, carrying people including women and children, back out to sea could result in it capsizing and sinking.

 

[jstar]

Has nothing to do aviation info but I would blame that specific example much more on the lack of mandatory ID in the UK. The moment you’re in…
Also see the SKTT discussions btw, most people without one are from Anglo-Saxon countries. It’s all between the ears.

 

[jstar]

Esp. in European airports the drones become more and more of a problem. The last one was in. Brussels airport Zaventem where the planes had to keep on circling for 20 minutes above the airport. Obviously it’s not clear whether they are from the Ruski’s or just jokers.

 

[Bob]

While the situation across the EU is challenging, the UK faces an even greater issue.

Undocumented migrants (posing as refugees) who originally enter Europe via Greece, Italy, an now Spain, some of them will make their way to French coastal locations like Calais and Dunkirk to await an opportunity to cross the English Channel in dinghy boats. Upon arriving on British soil, they will claim a refugee status. They will then be transported by coach to three-star hotels, where they will receive complimentary hotel quality buffet and an allowance for pocket money.
Later, Legal representation (their lawyer), the court battle to contest deportation in court could ultimately exceed $1 million per individual, with the entirety of these costs funded by taxpayers.

They can then easily secure illegal employment in sectors such as food and parcel delivery or ride-hailing services. Blame that to the extreme lefty government across Europe, ECHR, ECJ, The EU. And just look at the rise of the far-right movement in Europe such as AfD in Germany, the National Rally (RN) in France, Reform in the UK, PVV in the Netherland.

This raises a contrast with how Indonesian government historically handled "genuine" Rohingya refugee and earlier, Indochinese boat refugees who arrived by sea. The Indonesian government dragged the boats where there is a high risk that sending this sailing boat, carrying people including women and children, back out to sea could result in it capsizing and sinking.

That last paragraph's misleading. Indonesia gave many Indochinese refugees shelter in Riau and Rohingya in Sumatra. Granted a lot of Rohingya were turned away. I've met Vietnamese in the US who were very grateful to Indonesia for giving them that shelter.
Do you have anything to support the assertion that ships were turned back in a way that would endanger the occupants?

 

[harryopal1]

During the Vietnamese boat period Australia set up a special team with a light aircraft looking for boats that were about to hit the shore in Malaysia. Malaysia was rejecting the boats and sending them on to Australia so the Australian team would arrive where a boat was putting in to Malaysia, distract the local police and drill holes in the boats to make them unseaworthy. Not out of humanitarian concern that the boats might sink on the way but to make sure they never reached Australia.

 

[jstar]

In ‘79 the Malaysian and Indonesian governments definitely turned away Vietnamese boats. But when they realized it was too complicated to ‘protect’ the thousands of islands and under western pressure, they made a deal with the UN to create the refugee center on pulau Galang. Only for temporary stays (“we don’t want them here”) and to paid for by the UN. Many newspaper articles from ‘79 as in the NYT describe that situation. If I were Vietnamese in the US, I would not be grateful but upset with the RI government.

 

[jstar]

Quantas starts direct flights between Sydney and New York in 2028.

The very first non-stop connection between the two cities will take about 18 hours. This shortens the total travel time by more than three hours, according to Qantas, which says it meets increased demand with the new connection. The company currently operates a daily flight between Sydney and New York with a stopover in the New Zealand city of Auckland.

The flights will be operated with twelve Airbus aircraft specially equipped for the long flight, which can accommodate 238 passengers, spread over four cabins. The planes will be equipped with an additional fuel tank of 20,000 liters. This allows the aircraft to travel more than 16,000 kilometers and remain in the air continuously for up to 22 hours.

The possibility of booking the flights is expected from August 2027.

 

[harryopal1]

In ‘79 the Malaysian and Indonesian governments definitely turned away Vietnamese boats. But when they realized it was too complicated to ‘protect’ the thousands of islands and under western pressure, they made a deal with the UN to create the refugee center on pulau Galang. Only for temporary stays (“we don’t want them here”) and to paid for by the UN. Many newspaper articles from ‘79 as in the NYT describe that situation. If I were Vietnamese in the US, I would not be grateful but upset with the RI government.

It is a sad state of affairs that the world is awash with people hoping for a better life by illegally entering other countries. Before this became such a big issues many countries passed legislation regarding rights for refugees or people without documents which enabled them to stay while seeking asylum or entry permits. Now many of these countries regret that humanitarian response. Australia seeks to get around their own laws by having boat people immediately sent to places like Nauru where they will then not have eligibility for these humanitarian provisions. The costs of relocating and processing refugees and illegals have become enormous and tiggered the popularity of the right wing in many countries beset with this problem