The Jakarta Globe, Putri Prameshwari, March 27, 2009
In the latest effort to improve the country’s aviation safety, the government is adding more inspectors to monitor aircraft maintenance, the country’s most senior aviation official said on Friday.
An additional 10 inspectors would start their work on April 1 to monitor aircraft maintenance by all Indonesian airlines, said Herry Bhakti, director general of civil aviation at the Transportation Ministry.
The inspectors are currently working as pilots who will take a leave of absence for one year from their airlines to augment the existing 146 aviation inspectors on the ministry’s staff.
“This is part of our effort to meet European Union recommendations,” Herry said, referring to the ban imposed on all Indonesian aircraft from flying in European airspace, a restriction that has been in effect since July 2007.
The ban was based on recommendations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization, citing safety as the reason.
The 10 inspectors, Herry said, comprise senior pilots from several airlines including state-owned Garuda Indonesia and Merpati Nusantara Airlines. “There will be a cross-checking system,” he said, “so pilots from Garuda will not monitor their own airline.”
The government has been increasing its efforts to improve national aviation. However, the country has been hit by a string of accidents and incidents in the past month.
The latest occurred on Monday when a Boeing 737-200 operated by Sriwijaya Air was forced to divert to Batam en route from Tanjung Pinang to Jakarta after an engine failure 20 minutes into its flight.
Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said the ministry would frequently conduct surprise inspections on aircraft maintenance facilities, starting with PT Aero Nusantara Indonesia, a maintenance hangar used by Sriwijaya Air, Express Air and Kartika Airlines. He said only hangars with approved certificates can service aircraft in the country.
“I recommend airlines rejuvenate their aging aircraft, including Boeing 737-200s,” he said, adding that the ministry would impose tighter regulations on aircraft age and maintenance by sanctioning airlines with jets that accumulate prolonged flight hours.
He said that after 70,000 hours of flight, an aircraft should be “phased out,” or unauthorized to fly again, adding that an airline must change the aircraft with a newer model.
The country relies heavily on air and sea transportation to link people among its archipelago of 17,000 islands. However, poor infrastructure and inadequate safety measures often lead to overcrowding, accidents, damage to property and even casualties.
1 comment:
Occupant Safety & Escape issues have been a banner for me, since Nineleven, when memories of buried plans for up-to-date technology for such returned to overwhelm me - none of those people needed to die.
When such plans emerged, they were "ahead of their time" - the ideas were impractical and too expensive.
Their proponents were so embarassed, their wonderful ideas were buried and suppressed, ever after.
If this had not happened, the technology might have been done for America's Bi-Centennial, because by then, they WERE practical and affordable.
OK - there's nothing to be done for what happened on Nineleven, because Occupants could not quickly and safely escape a tall building or a plane.
BUT 'WHAT ABOUT NOW?' Please urge your leaders at every level to support innovations in Occupant Safety & Escape from skyscrapers and planes.
Architecture and Aeronautics design and implementation CAN do it, if they will.
They need our support. This issue needs support in media and government to get it done.
Please pass the word, till it takes hold.
truly
elle smith fagan
more at
http://www.ellefagan.com/patriotsite/wtcreconstruction.html
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