State airliner Garuda Indonesia to launch a new platform called GIA Mall to sell products besides flight ticket, aiming to increase the company’s revenue, said Garuda trade director Pikri Ilham Kurniansyah.
“Because we can’t survive just by selling [flight] tickets,” Pikri said at Garuda Indonesia anniversary celebration in Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Saturday, Jan. 26.
It is reported that the state airliner, with its full service, is still experiencing financial loss in the past few years.
In the first quarter of 2018, the revenue of Garuda Indonesia reached U$1.9 billion or around Rp27.36 trillion, with the assumption of Rp14,400 per US dollar. It was a 5.9 percent increase if compared to the same period in the previous year. The company has managed to reduce the loss by 60 percent at only US$ 114 million from previously US$ 284 million.
Pikri explained that flight ticket which was previously sold on its website and mobile app will now be diverted to the GIA Mall platform. Garuda Indonesia also plans to sell more products including retail businesses related to the aviation industry, or non-aviation industry, on the GIA Mall.
According to Pikri, the GIA Mall can help Garuda to earn a monthly revenue of around Rp1 trillion from previously Rp350 billion when it sells flight ticket through the mobile app. He hopes that the new strategy will help Garuda Indonesia scoop up big gains.
Source: Tempo.co