Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said the European Union (EU) team that conducted an audit and verification in Indonesia from November 5 to 9, 2007, was in general satisfied with the current condition of the country`s airline companies.
"They were satisfied after auditing the airlines as they saw improvements in the skills of the pilots and crew members, maintenance and others, both hardware and software," the minister told newsmen here Friday.
The EU team led by Frederico Grandini including five experts from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), was in Indonesia from November 5 to 9, 2007, to audit and verify the condition of the Indonesian airlines including the regulators and operators.
The team consisted of Jean-Luis Ammeloot of EASA (Germany), Declan Fitzpatrick (EASA, Ireland), Dick Nederlof (EASA, the Netherlands), Annette Ruge (EASA, Germany) and Auke Tjeerd Sebastian van der Weide (EASA, Germany).
Regarding the regulators (based on their explanations to the transportation minister), the minister said they considered there were a number of things, in this case regulations, which should be improved but they were not the fundamental ones.
"They did not specifically mention (the regulations which need improvement)," Jusman said.
According to the minister, they are now drawing up reports and recommendations which will be handed to Indonesia next Monday (Nov 12) and then to the safety 27-member team of the EU.
"The Air Transportation Director General is invited to their meeting on November 19, 2007, to explain and convince the EU members that improvements had been made," the minister said.
On the EU team`s findings about things that should be improved by the regulators and operators, Jusman said they had yet to make final decisions as they were only a technical team, and no decision makers.
The minister said the most important thing was that he had expressed the Indonesian government`s wish for the lifting of the flight ban against 51 Indonesian airline companies imposed since July 6, 2007.
"Otherwise, the airline companies in Indonesia will find it difficult to grow," the minister said.
He further said they would not directly lift the ban but probably after a phase of evaluation.
On a different occasion, Air Transportation Director General of the Transportation Ministry Budhi M Suyitno said the airlines which were verified and audited by the EU team were Garuda Indonesia, Mandala, Premi Air and Air Fast.
"The four airlines have direct flights to Europe," he said.
The EU team made a surveillance, oversight and verification on the findings in the field and then made recommendations, he said, adding, "Based on the recommendations, we must take measures of correction".
On the possibility that the ban would not be lifted or even extended, Budhi said, "we improve the safety condition not for the EU, but for our own public, then for theirs".
"With or without a ban by outsiders, we must work hard to improve the our flight safety condition," Budhi said.
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