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An entire cabin crew of Garuda Indonesia has been suspended after a passenger tracked his missing iPhone to a hotel where airline staff were reportedly staying.
Michael Tjendara, a passenger on flight GA716 from Jakarta to Melbourne on June 6, claimed his phone was stolen during the journey. According to his account on Instagram, he had placed the device in the backseat pocket before changing seats shortly after takeoff. When he returned to his original seat, the phone was gone.
Using Apple’s Find My iPhone feature, Tjendara traced the device to a location near Southbank Promenade in Melbourne. He claimed the signal was pinpointed near the Mercure Hotel, where Garuda Indonesia crew members were believed to be lodged.
He further disclosed that the phone’s signal was last active between 3:50 p.m. and 4:40 p.m., before moving toward the Evan Walker Bridge. The final location reportedly showed the device being dropped into the Yarra River.
“Please help tag and share this story so the right people see it,” he wrote in his Instagram post, alongside screenshots showing the phone’s tracked locations.
In response, Garuda Indonesia confirmed that the cabin crew members on duty during the flight had been suspended.
“We are in continuous communication with the concerned passenger and remain committed to supporting him throughout the follow-up process,” said Ade R. Susardi, Director of Commercial and Cargo at Garuda Indonesia, in a statement to Indonesia Business Post.
The airline also deployed a company representative in Melbourne to assist Mr. Tjendara in filing a police report and to facilitate further investigations.
Susardi apologized for the incident, stating:
“We can confirm that upon receiving the report, all cabin crew had followed standard operating and safety procedures, including promptly coordinating with airport authorities to initiate a search.”
The investigation is ongoing, and Australian authorities have yet to confirm whether any criminal charges will be filed.
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