Errant airline remains unpunished

Errant airline remains unpunished

JAKARTA: Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar said Monday
the government had yet to decide on the sanctions to be imposed
on Indonesian Airlines for its failure to transport 1,200 people
leaving for a haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia last week.

"We are still collecting information from the air
transportation directorate general. No sanction has been decided
yet," Agum said.

About 1,000 prospective pilgrims, under the privately managed
pilgrimage package operator called ONH Plus were unable to leave
for Mecca, as Indonesian Airlines has not yet secured a permit to
land in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities refused to allow the airline to land at the
King Abdul Aziz International Airport because its flights to the
country were not guaranteed by any bank.

The haj pilgrims were later taken by four other airlines --
Garuda Indonesia, Qatar Airlines, Malaysian Airlines and
Emirates.

The pilgrims were supposed to enjoy exclusive services since
they paid more than the government's haj program prices. -- JP