Indonesia aviation to improve safety image

Originally published on asia.businesstraveller.com 24/07/2009 - Filed under: News »

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The Indonesian government is using its experience with the European Union (EU) ban on its carriers from entering the group’s airspace – recently lifted on four carriers, including Garuda Indonesia – to overhaul its aviation regulation body as well as existing quality and certification measures.

Transport minister Jusman Syaffi Djamal said: “We are working with the help of EU experts to reconstruct our safety image.” A number of Indonesian operators (mostly smaller companies) remain on the list of EU’s “danger list”, but Djamal was confident they would be taken off by year-end.

He reported the government is conducting a drive to recruit more staff as inspectors and managers for the aviation safety programme. “We are going to the universities to seek professionals as well as airlines for executives with vast experience in the field.”

With flag carrier Garuda having launched a new corporate action plan and fleet expansion, Djamal said that Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which Garuda is intending to build up as a regional hub for business travel, is also undergoing renewal. Enhancements include future addition of four more landing strips, more aerobridges to the new Terminal 3 (which hosts low-cost carriers AirAsia and Mandala Airlines) and refurbishment of all sections A-F of Soekarno-Hatta.

Groundbreaking for a new Denpasar Airport in Bali commenced in June, he reported.

Margie T Logarta

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