Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said the European Union (EU) is to discuss its flight ban on 51 Indonesian airlines in July instead of in April because an EU consultant needed enough time to verify aviation safety standards in Indonesia.
The EU imposed the flight ban in July, 2007 and the Indonesian government has since then intensively lobbied the EU to lift it while requiring airline companies in the country to improve their flight safety conditions.
"They (EU) said they will possibly discuss the flight ban in July when the European Commission holds a meeting. It is impossible for them to discuss it next April 17," the minister said here on Wednesday.
The minister made the statement after receiving the European Union`s Interim Ambassador to Indonesia Pierre Philippe and the head of the EU`s Trade Section, Andreas Julin.
The ambassador and Julin visited the minister to introduce the EU`s consultant on Indonesia-European Union Partnership for Aviation Safety, Jean Piere Ambrosini.
Jusman said the European Union`s Commission`s meeting on April 17 to be attended by 27 EU member countries could not yet discuss the possible lifting of the flight ban because the commission should have received a report on it on March 17, 2008 at the latest.
"The consultant arrived only today so that he has only two weeks to make preparations," the minister said.
He said he had proposed the matter be discussed (on April 17), but Ambrosini said it was impossible because he was just starting his work.
Ambrosini will collect data for six months in Indonesia and submit a recommendation for the evaluation of the flight ban on Indonesian airlines.
The minister said Ambrosini would observe Indonesia`s Road Map to Safety program and monitor the work of the directorate general of air communications in supervising the operations of Indonesian airlines.
Jusman said Indonesia had asked the European Union to focus on four Indonesian airlines in order to speed up the lifting of the flight ban on them. They are PT Garuda Indonesia, PT Mandala Airlines, PT Premi Air and PT Air Fast.
The European Commission banned 51 Indonesian airline companies from flying to European Union member countries as of July 6, 2007 due to flight safety concerns.
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