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)