Garuda check-in blocked

Garuda check-in blocked

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP): Union members protesting the unrest in East Timor prevented all but a handful of passengers from boarding an Indonesian airline flight Wednesday, a union leader claimed.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members marched on the international terminal of Melbourne Airport in an attempt to prevent an 11:00 a.m. Garuda flight to Bali via Sydney from departing.

The flight left on scheduled, albeit with only a handful of passengers on board.

CFMEU Victorian secretary Martin Kingham warned union action would escalate and spread to the Australian airline Qantas if it started flying Garuda passengers to Indonesia.

Kingham said the Garuda check-in blockade which started at about 9:00 a.m. prevented many passengers boarding the aircraft. Some were later bussed to hotels or put on other carriers, he said.

Garuda's Australian management could not immediately be reached for comment.