Garuda Indonesia denies hiring woman linked to viral Batik Air impersonation incident
Garuda Indonesia has denied viral claims that it hired a woman who previously impersonated a Batik Air flight attendant, saying the images were AI-generated and false, and stressing that no cabin crew recruitment is currently underway.
- Garuda Indonesia denied viral claims that it hired a woman who had impersonated a Batik Air flight attendant, calling the information false.
- The airline said the images were AI-generated and that no cabin crew recruitment is currently open.
- It urged the public to verify information through official channels before sharing it.
INDONESIA: Garuda Indonesia has denied claims circulating on social media that it had hired a woman who previously went viral for impersonating a Batik Air flight attendant.
The airline was responding to online posts featuring a photograph of Khairun Nisa shaking hands with an individual purported to be a senior executive at Garuda Indonesia.
The image was accompanied by captions alleging that she had been accepted into the airline, which Garuda Indonesia said were false and misleading.
Nisa had earlier attracted widespread attention following a security breach involving Batik Air.
The 23-year-old caused alarm after impersonating a Batik Air cabin crew member and boarding a flight from Palembang to Jakarta.
Her deception was uncovered when cabin crew grew suspicious of her responses, which did not align with the standard operating procedures expected of trained flight attendants.
The incident occurred on Tuesday (6 Jan), when she boarded the aircraft wearing a Batik Air uniform, carrying a crew suitcase and using a falsified identification card resembling the airline’s official ID.
Despite the disguise, she reportedly entered the aircraft using a valid passenger ticket rather than authorised crew credentials.
Videos circulating on social media show Nisa dressed in a white kebaya paired with a batik skirt, her hair styled in a traditional bun, and holding what appeared to be a counterfeit airline identification card.
Garuda: Content Was AI-Generated and False
Garuda Indonesia’s Corporate Communications Division Head, Dicky Irchamsyah, said the information circulating online was untrue and had been manipulated using artificial intelligence.
“The content was created using artificial intelligence (AI) technology and spread by irresponsible parties,” Dicky said on Thursday (14 Jan).
He stressed that Garuda Indonesia had never accepted the woman as a cabin crew candidate and added that the airline is currently not conducting any cabin crew recruitment through any platform.
“At present, Garuda Indonesia has not opened recruitment for cabin crew. Official recruitment information is only available on career.garuda-indonesia.com,” he said.
Garuda Indonesia also urged the public to remain vigilant and not to be easily influenced by unverified information circulating on social media.
“We encourage the public to always verify the source of information before trusting or sharing it,” Dicky said.
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