THE HARLEY DAVIDSON SCANDAL & ‘BABY SICKNESS’ OF NEW GARUDA’S AIRBUS

GARUDA Indonesia airline landing with carrying illegal cargo in the hangar of the Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF) on flight November 17, 2019 was cited for reasons of new aircraft procedures.

According to flight observer Arista Admajati, said the GA 9721 aircraft, the Airbus A300-900 Neo, is a brand-new fleet that must go through various checks at aircraft repair shops before being flown commercially.

“The principle is that if a new plane, the procedure is like that. New aircraft must enter the hangar to prevent it from ‘baby sickness’, and baby sickness is damage to aircraft that often attack the new fleet. This damage generally occurs due to production errors from the manufacturer. One example of an airline experiencing ‘baby sickness’ is the Lion Air series JT 610 which crashed in October last year. The aircraft has a production defect from its manufacturer, Boeing Co,” Arista said.

Arista continued, when the new aircraft landed in the hangar, the technical team would check all components. The team will ensure that all elements are eligible to operate. In addition, the company must also arrange flight permits and register them with the Ministry of Transportation.

“After obtaining a flight number or flight number, new aircraft may be flown to the terminal to be operated as commercial aircraft. If it has been moved to the terminal, everything must be clear, including the flight permit,” Arista explained.

The GA 9721 aircraft, the Airbus A300-900 Neo, which aired on November 16-17 from France to Hangar IV GMF was found carrying illegal cargo. This aircraft is transporting a 1972 Harley Davidson motorbike and two Brompton bikes and their accessories. This finding was confiscated by Customs at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

In accordance with the results of the Customs investigation, Garuda Indonesia President Director Ari Askhara was then listed as the owner of the illegal object. He was then removed from his post by Minister of State-Owned Enterprises or SOE Erick Thohir on 5 December 2019. [sources/photo special]