Here’s How Apple’s Find My iPhone Led to Suspension of Entire Airline Cabin Crew

Apple’s Find My iPhone is a handy tool. It can be useful in many ways, but who could have thought that one day it would one day cause the suspension of a flight’s entire cabin crew! The entire flight crew, including the pilots, have been suspended because of a strange case of a missing iPhone. The phone was allegedly linked to the hotel where the airline crew was staying. 

Passenger Michael Tajandera was on a Garuda Indonesia flight from Jakarta to Melbourne when the incident occurred. Tajandera claims that he put his iPhone in the pocket of the seat in front of him during the journey, only to later realise that the phone was missing after he changed seats during the journey. Upon returning to his seat, he couldn’t find it. 

Apple’s Find My iPhone Comes to the Rescue 

After landing in Melbourne, Tajandera used Apple's Find My iPhone tool to track his phone.  The phone was found near the Mercure Hotel on South Bank Promenade, which is where the Garuda Indonesia crew were staying. The locator app then indicated towards the Evan Walker Bridge, and then eventually the missing iPhone was shown submerged in the Yarra River, suggesting that it may have been thrown away on purpose.  Tajandera posted screenshots and updates of the tracking information on Instagram, asking others to spread the story and hold people accountable. 

The Suspension 

Garuda Indonesia, in a reaction to the viral Instagram post and growing public outrage, suspended the entire cabin crew as the company investigates the event. It is unknown if any legal investigation or the local police are involved. 

“The crew members who were on duty at the time the iPhone went missing have been temporarily suspended,” said Ade R. Susardi, Head of Commercial and Cargo at Garuda Indonesia. The airline is said to be in touch with the passenger and has extended help. 

The incident has sparked concerns about the safety of passengers’ belongings. Many are now wondering what protections are in place if something goes missing while they are in the air. In-flight thefts are rare, but they do happen. 

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