Flight ban may be lifted as early as March: Official

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/15/2008 10:38 AM  

Indonesian airliners may be allowed to fly in European airspace by as early as March next year, with the government claiming of making significant improvement in safety measures as required by the European Commission, an official said Sunday. 

"We hope the European Commission meeting in March next year can (lead to the lifting) of the flight ban," Budi Mulyawan Suyitno, the Transportation Ministry's director general of air transportation, said at a press conference. 

The EC imposed the flight ban in mid-2007 on all Indonesian airlines due to safety concerns, following a series of fatal accidents involving Indonesian airplanes. 

In response, Indonesia decided to delay signing a much-anticipated partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA) with the EU, and a comprehensive partnership agreement with the Netherlands. 

The EC is the EU's executive branch, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the EU. 

Recommendations from two EU countries are sufficient to impose a flight ban, but approval from all 27 member states is needed to lift a ban. 

According to Budi, 69 of 121 EU findings on the Indonesian aviation industry were related to air safety. 

"We are confident about settling all of the findings before March next year," Budi said. 

He added five major EU countries had announced their commitment to help lift the ban. 

"Germany, France and the Netherlands will help us improve aviation safety, while the UK will advise us on regulatory systems, and Sweden on aviation industry planning," he said. 

However, the Transportation Ministry has rejected calls by the EU to turn its air safety directorate into an independent agency to help the nation's aviation safety become more professional. 

The Air Safety Certification Directorate (DSKU) currently falls under the ministry's directorate general for air transportation. 

The EC says its current ban on Indonesian airliners from European airspace has a lot to do with shortcomings in terms of safety standards, in particular the country's air safety regulator. 

Meanwhile, the ministry remains upbeat the local airline industry can still record high growth of 10 percent in terms of passengers next year, despite a slowdown in the global economy. 

"Indonesian airlines have been able to maintain their load factor by an average of 80 percent this year despite rising ticket prices," Budi said. 

Indonesia currently has 14 airlines operating 739 airplanes, a 36.3 percent increase on the 542 planes recorded in 2007. The airlines serve 167 domestic routes connecting 87 cities. 

The ministry forecasts domestic passenger numbers this year to reach 46.34 million, up by 18.3 percent from 39.2 million last year. Overseas passenger numbers are predicted to rise by a slight 5.64 percent to 3.37 million this year, from 3.19 million last year. 

Emirsyah Satar, president director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, said the industry was forecast to book 10 percent growth in revenue next year, compared to the usual 15 percent. 

Garuda is eyeing Rp 15 trillion (US$1.28 billion) in revenue and around $300 million in operating profits this year. (hwa)