The presidential secretariat office confirmed that time and budget efficiency were main considerations prior to chartering the Garuda Indonesia Boeing 777 aircraft for President Joko Widodo’s official visit to Italy, the UK, and the UAE.

Presidential secretariat office head Heru Budi Hartono stated that hiring the wide-bodied jet would facilitate enforcement of health protocols on-board and during direct flights to destinations for official visits, as the Boeing Business Jet B737-800 presidential aircraft has a shorter flight capability, thereby necessitating a stopover during the official visit.

“Since this is the president’s first overseas visit during the pandemic, we must be strict in enforcing health protocols during the flight, including the need to arrange an additional health protocol plan during a stopover,” Hartono stated.

Budget efficiency has also been taken into account, as direct flights would exempt the need to prepare health protocol arrangements at the stopover airport, and the wide-bodied aircraft employed would allow more ministers and officials to board the aircraft.

“The six ministers that would join the flight are Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (Airlangga Hartarto), Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs (Luhut Pandjaitan), Foreign Minister (Retno Marsudi), Finance Minister (Sri Mulyani), State-owned Enterprises Minister (Erick Thohir), and Cabinet Secretary (Pramono Anung),” Hartono stated.

Though some ministers would join the flight later, their seats have been allocated on the flight, he confirmed.

“For instance, the foreign and finance ministers must depart for Rome before the president to attend a ministerial-level meeting and prepare for the president’s arrival. After the president’s arrival in Rome, the foreign minister would be part of his next leg of the flight to Glasgow, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai,” the secretary office head explained.

Despite departing separately at different times, ministers and officials would later be part of the return flight to Indonesia, he stated.

“All officials departing for Abu Dhabi and Dubai in advance teams would board the return flight, and they need not purchase another flight ticket,” Hartono explained.

The secretary office head spoke of the presidential military secretary Rear Marshal M. Tonny Harjono having instructed that health protocols must be observed during the official visit.

“This long-distance flight takes place amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Europe, for which he instructed strict enforcement of health protocols on the flight by necessitating use of masks and seat spacing between passengers,” Hartono stated.

According to the presidential protocol, the Garuda Indonesia Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is adorned with national and presidential emblems, and the aircraft will be designated as the official presidential aircraft while President Jokowi is on-board.

Source: Antara News