Jakarta. Flight GA716 from national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, en route from Jakarta to Melbourne, had to return to Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on Saturday. The decision was prompted by a cockpit indicator signaling the need for additional inspection and maintenance of the aircraft's hydraulic system.

"Taking into account safety aspects, the Pilot in Command (PIC) coordinated with the Operation Control Center (OCC) and decided to return and land at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in good and normal conditions for further inspection," said Garuda Indonesia's CEO, Irfan Setiaputra as quoted by news agency Antara on Thursday.

Irfan added that the aircraft's return to Soekarno Hatta Airport also took into account the convenience of coordinating spare part provisions and preparing the replacement aircraft.

Following the inspection, the GA 716 flight continued with a substitute aircraft, taking off in the early hours of Sunday.

The GA716 flight, operated with an A330-300, left Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, at 07:00 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Time), with a scheduled arrival at Melbourne International Airport at 05:30 AM local time.

A few hours after takeoff, the pilot noticed a cockpit indicator indicating that the aircraft's hydraulic system required additional inspection and attention.

The aircraft then returned to base and landed back at Soekarno Hatta Airport at 00:25 AM WIB. It was later redeployed with an A330-900 Neo airplane at 02:45 AM WIB and arrived at Melbourne International Airport at 01:10 PM local time.

"In connection with this departure schedule adjustment, Garuda Indonesia also ensures that affected passengers have received service recovery under regulations," said Irfan.

Garuda Indonesia apologizes for any inconvenience experienced by passengers and will conduct further evaluations to ensure a commitment to implementing safety in all aspects of flights is optimally implemented.

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