A merger between state-owned airlines Citilink (QG, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) and Pelita Air (IP, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) could be completed by October 2024, according to the CEO of Garuda Indonesia (GA, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta). Irfan Setiaputra told the Tempo news outlet that the target date coincided with the end of the current government's term.

"This is also appropriate to ensure clarity so that there won't be any future debts," he said, acknowledging that the progress and outcome of any merger was dependant on the Indonesian government rather than himself.

The government wants to merge Pelita's scheduled passenger arm with Citilink, Garuda's low-cost subsidiary. Pelita parent PT Pertamina, an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation, is majority-owned by the government. Garuda's parent entity, PT Garuda Indonesia, is also majority government-owned.

Separately, Setiaputra says plans to merge Garuda Indonesia Airlines with PT Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia, doing business as InJourney, are also continuing. InJourney is a government-owned holding company that has interests across the domestic aviation and tourism segments. Setiputra says this merger should happen around the same time as the Citilink/Pelita merger.