Ministry of Transportation Says Garuda Indonesia Plane Tire Burst After Takeoff

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com – The Ministry of Transportation said a tire on a Garuda Indonesia aircraft burst after the aircraft had become airborne, meaning it occurred after takeoff.

Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation, said that based on the report, at 5:52 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB), the JATSC Tower at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport informed the Pilot in Command (PIC).

“After the aircraft became airborne, it was discovered that the tire on main wheel No. 3 had burst,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

Despite the incident, the PIC decided to continue the flight to Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport. At 6:04 a.m. WIB, the PIC coordinated with ground personnel through Ground-to-Air (GTA) communication.

Coordination was subsequently carried out with Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport to anticipate the potential for a runway blockage during or after the aircraft landed, as well as to prepare the necessary response measures for the landing.

“Flight GA604 then landed safely on Runway 03 at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport at 9:13 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA),” he said.

He added that following the landing, the runway was temporarily closed through NOTAM No. A3284/26 to ensure operational safety and facilitate the handling of the aircraft.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, through the Makassar Region V Airport Authority Office, coordinated with Garuda Indonesia’s technical team and GMF AeroAsia, Lukman said.

Based on the initial inspection, a burst tire was found on main wheel No. 3. The aircraft was subsequently towed from the runway to a parking stand for further inspection and repairs, including replacement of the wheel.

He said 141 passengers and eight crew members had been handled with safety and security as the top priorities, in accordance with applicable regulations.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, he said, appreciated the swift response and intensive coordination among all parties involved, including the aircraft crew, airport operator, AirNav Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia and the technical team. This enabled the aircraft to land safely and ensured that post-incident handling was carried out in accordance with established procedures.

He added that, as part of the response, inspections and runway cleaning had been carried out at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport. The measures were taken to ensure that no Foreign Object Debris (FOD) remained that could potentially compromise flight safety.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, he said, also reaffirmed that flight safety and security remain its top priorities and that it would continue to coordinate and monitor the aircraft inspection and handling process in accordance with applicable regulations.

Timeline

Separately, Garuda Indonesia management confirmed that flight GA-604 on the Jakarta–Makassar–Kendari route on Thursday, September 3, 2026, landed safely and normally at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, its scheduled transit point.

“All passengers and crew members were safe,” the management said.

The airline said the flight, operated by a Boeing 737-800NG registered as PK-GFS, departed Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 5:30 a.m. WIB.

During the flight to Makassar, the crew identified an indication of a technical issue involving one of the aircraft’s landing wheels and immediately implemented mitigation measures and operational coordination in accordance with applicable aviation safety standards.

The aircraft subsequently landed safely and under control in Makassar at 9:27 a.m. WITA.

Garuda Indonesia management said the aircraft had undergone inspection in accordance with procedures before departure and had been declared airworthy. Following the landing, Garuda Indonesia conducted a comprehensive further technical inspection to ensure that all safety and airworthiness requirements were met.

To ensure that passengers could continue their journey, Garuda Indonesia prepared a replacement aircraft for the Makassar–Kendari leg, which was scheduled to depart at 7:45 p.m. WITA and arrive at Haluoleo Airport in Kendari at 8:55 p.m. WITA, the management said.

Garuda Indonesia also provided service recovery to all affected passengers in accordance with applicable regulations.

The management apologized for the inconvenience experienced by passengers. Flight safety and security, it said, remain Garuda Indonesia’s top priorities in all of its operations.