Trigana Flight (IST)
Jayapura, Jubi – Nine passengers of crashed Trigana Air around Oksibil on 16 August 2015 were found to be not listed on the flight manifest.
They took the flight using other people’s tickets. It’s strongly suspected they bought the air tickets from brokers who suspected are employees of the airline company.
Operation Director of PT Trigana Air, Benny Sumaryanto stated the airline company would fire those who are found to have been involved in brokering practice related to the ATR 42-400 plane crashed last Sunday (16/8) at Oksob, Pegunungan Bintang Regency.
“We have conducted internal investigation after receiving report the name of victims are different with the list of passengers,” Sumaryanto said in Jayapura on Friday (21/8/2015). He said the employees who suspected involved in this case are about three to four persons. Based on internal investigation, the airline company found those using their ID cards to buy a ticket that lately being used by passengers. He added the culprits use their ID cards to sell the tickets that caused mismatch between the flight manifest and names of passenger.
But is it true only three or four persons who involved in this brokering practice for this airline company? Because the brokering practice is not just slightly be happened within this airline company. And it’s not only occurred at surround Sentani Airport. Most of people using this airline service admitted they got the ticket from the airline’s employee that already printed with other else’s name at Sentani Airport. The rest admitted never bought the ticket at the official Trigana’s ticket counter as it always said the ticket was sold out.
“But when we got out of their office, someone said there’s a ticket but belong to someone’s else,” a student from Pegunungan Bintang Regency told Jubi at Sentani Airport.
Another student from Wamena said in Wamena, people even could get the ticket from pedicap or motor taxi drivers who stand around Wamena Airport.
“Just asking where did they get those tickets, they must answer that they get those tickets from Trigana’s employees. The ticket price could be double or triple than normal price,” she said.
In the early last year, even the passengers from Wamena who wanted flying to Jayapura almost occupied the Wamena Airport’s runway that affected the delay of flight schedule. First flight from Jayapura to Wamena should return to Sentani Airport due to this situation. People also rampaged for about three hours at Trigana Office made Wamena Airport Police came to secure the situation. This riot was occurred because people were upset with the price of the airfare that was soared and on the hand of brokers who made it difficult to get.
On the same occasion, as cited by Antara News Agency the Operation Director of Trigana Air Benny Sumaryanto said Trigana Air staffs received the tickets when passengers were check according to the list of passengers and ID cards.
“So far I knew, we usually checked the passengers along with the ticket and ID card, because Trigana has the same counter with other airline company when doing check-in,” said Benny.
His statement is opposite with the fact that nine passengers of the crashed plane was not listed in the flight manifest.
“My brother used the ticket of Petrus Takege. If they checked the passengers’ ID card who passed the counter, why could he possibly pass the scrutiny? Since he used someone else’s ticket, Petrus Takege and the ticket wasn’t printed by his name John Gasperz,” the plane crashed victim John’s sister Corry Gasperz said. (Victor Mambor/rom)
