Garuda Indonesia has confirmed the appointment of Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan - the former interim chief exeutive of low-cost operator Lion Air - as its new CEO.

Before his career in commercial aviation, Wamildan served as an Air Force pilot, flying Boeing 737-200 surveillance aircraft.

State-owned carrier PT Garuda Indonesia has removed Irfan Setiaputra as president director, he said in a text message to Bloomberg News.

State-run Garuda Indonesia said on Friday it had appointed as its new chief executive officer Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan, a former acting head of budget Lion Air who pledged to improve the flag-carrier's performance.

Garuda Indonesia appointed Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan, a top manager at PT Lion Mentari Airlines, as its next chief executive officer as the Southeast Asian nation’s flagship carrier looks to turn a profit and expand its international network.