Blind passenger denied entry to Garuda flight
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi | Wed, 09/15/2010 7:07 PM
Dozens of people with disabilities rallied outside the branch office of national flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia in Makassar on Wednesday to protest the company’s employees who had denied a blind passenger an entry to its flight.
The protesters demanded that the company publicly announce its apology for discriminating against Irwan Subena, a civil servant who was returning to Denpasar after celebrating Idul Fitri in the South Sulawesi capital. Irwan held a ticket for the flight No. GA 607, but Garuda air crews rejected him.
“This is an act of discrimination. Why a disabled cannot board although he has the same rights as other citizens?” an advisor to the group, Rahman, said.
Law No. 1/2009 on aviation says people with disabilities, children and elderly are entitled to special treatment and facilities.
Rahman said all the Garuda crew members, including pilot Sumanto and cabin chief Totok Mahfuz, resign for violating the law.
General manager of PT Garuda Indonesia Makassar, Rismondani, apologized for the incident and promised to notify the company’s management in Jakarta about the case.
