Jakarta, IndonesiaSentinel — A viral video showing a suspected fuel leak from a Garuda Indonesia flight plane has sparked widespread concern on social media. The airline’s management has since confirmed the incident and provided further details.
Garuda Indonesia CEO, Irfan Setiaputra, acknowledged the situation, explaining that the fuel spill occurred on a flight scheduled from Jakarta to Pekanbaru. The incident involved flight GA-174, which was set to depart from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 11:50 AM local time and arrive at Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport at 1:35 PM.
“The spill was detected during a routine pre-flight check by the pilot in command (PIC),” Irfan said in a statement on Sunday, August 25, 2025. “This procedure is a standard part of our safety protocols before takeoff.”
Upon noticing the fuel spill from the plane’s right wing, the pilot immediately decided to return the aircraft to the apron for a thorough inspection. “Prioritizing safety, the PIC made the decision to conduct a Return to Apron (RTA) to carry out a comprehensive inspection following the discovery of the fuel spill,” Irfan added.
After completing the necessary safety checks, the airline arranged for the 135 passengers aboard GA-174 to be transferred to a replacement aircraft, PK-GMM, which took off at 2:00 PM and landed in Pekanbaru at 3:45 PM.
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The video of the fuel spill has been widely shared on social media, including on X (formerly known as Twitter), where singer Kunto Aji posted a 26-second clip showing fuel leaking from the plane’s right wing. In his post, Kunto Aji expressed relief that the issue was detected before the plane took off.
Garuda Indonesia has reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and emphasized that such safety checks are crucial in preventing potential in-flight incidents.
(Ray)
