"At the moment, we are stopping the air freight service for the specific mobile phones following the recent fire in Hong Kong," Garuda president director Irfan Saputra stated.
Garuda said shipments of all series of China's Vivo mobile phones will be banned temporarily while it awaits the outcome of the Hong Kong authorities' investigation into the fire.
The national flag carrier's letter notifying the temporary ban on Vivo smartphones was circulated on social media platforms.
The letter contained a request for air cargo workers to ensure that shipments of Vivo mobile phones are not loaded on aircraft.
Saputra said the temporary ban has been imposed by Garuda as part of preventive measures to ensure flight safety.
"The policy, which has also been taken by several other global airlines, has been put in place until the Hong Kong authorities reveal the outcome of their investigation," he informed.
Meanwhile, a representative of Vivo Indonesia disclosed in a press statement that the local authorities are still probing the incident.
The Vivo representative, however, did not provide details on the impact of the temporary ban on the shipments of the company's mobile phone products in the Indonesian market.
Vivo currently has a factory in Tangerang, Banten province, which produces the brand’s V and Y series smartphones. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Natisha A, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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