Denpasar (ANTARA News) - PT Mandala Airlines has a high commitment to the proper maintenance of its aircraft, the head of the company's corporate communications, Trisja Megawati, said here on Saturday.
"Mandala will never operate unsafe planes and therefore we want to ensure that all of our aircraft are airworthy. To ensure the meeting of international safety standards, we have entrusted all maintenance works on our fleet to Singapore Airlines Engineering Company (SAEC) in Singapore," Megawati said.
She made the remark in a written statement following the cancellation of Mandala Airline flight RI-570 from Denpasar to Yogyakarta on Friday because of a technical problem.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart Ngurah Rai airport for Adi Sucipto airport in Yugyakarta at 7:30 a.m. local time on Friday but it had to be delayed for several hours and finally canceled.
The cancellation caused bitter disappointment among its 137 passengers.
Ngurah Rai airport duty manager Muhidi said the technical problem was discovered when the plane was about to take off.
He said the plane was in a standby position on the tarmac, ready to take off but a few moments later it returned to the apron.
The passengers then got off the plane and waited in a waiting room for several hours before they were finally notified that the flight was canceled and to be replaced by another Mandala flight the next day (Saturday).
But Megawati said the cancellation was made early in the morning soon after the technical problem was discovered.
"The passengers were notified about the cancellation in the morning when they checked in and there was no boarding process at all," She said.
Meanwhile, Mandala Chief Executive Officer Warwick Brady said in Singapore on Friday that the company had entrusted its aircraft maintenance and minor repair work to SIAEC.
"We entrust every repair, from the nose to the tail, of Mandala aircraft to SIAEC," Warwick said at Crowne Plaza Hotel at Changi Airport in Singapore.
He said Mandala continued to maintain its commitment to flight security and safety by applying international aviation standards, including in maintenance and repair work.
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