Garuda apologizes to Sarwono

Garuda apologizes to Sarwono

JAKARTA (JP): Garuda Indonesia's president Soepandi has
apologized to Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja for
an embarrassing incident that left the minister stranded on the
tarmac of the Soekarno-Hatta airport on Monday.

According to a statement by the airline's public relations
office, Soepandi promised to take severe action against his
employees at the airport for their negligence that caused the
minister to miss his flight to Singapore.

The quality of Garuda's service and its employees are crucial
in the fiercely competitive world of the airline business, the
statement read. "That's why Soepandi will not hesitate to take
severe action against employees who fail to perform in accordance
with company regulations and consumer demands."

Sarwono, who was to attend a meeting with his counterparts
from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, checked in
thirty minutes before the plane's departure time of 6.10 a.m. and
proceeded to the VIP lounge waiting for the embarkation
announcement. An airline officer came to fetch him and escorted
him onto a bus to go to the plane. When they reached their
destination, the plane had already departed.

Sarwono was put on a Singapore Airlines flight an hour later.
(05)