Europe Lifts Ban on All Indonesian Airlines

Jakarta, MINA — The European Commission on Thursday cleared all Indonesian air carriers from the EU Air Safety list.

“Following today`s update, all airlines certified in Indonesia are cleared from the list, following further improvements to the aviation safety situation that was ascertained in the country,” Antara News quoted The European Union as saying in a statement on Thursday.

The European Commission on Thursday updated the EU Air Safety List, which includes the list of airlines that do not meet international safety standards and are, therefore, subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.

The EU Air Safety List seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for European citizens, which is a top priority of the Commission`s Aviation Strategy, it stated.

EU Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, revealed that The EU Air Safety List is one of EU`s main instruments to continuously offer the highest level of air safety to Europeans.

“I am particularly glad that after years of work, we have today been able to clear all air carriers from Indonesia. It shows that hard work and close cooperation pay off. I am also satisfied that we now have a new warning system to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace,” Bulc noted.

All Indonesian carriers were put on the EU Air Safety List in 2007 due to unaddressed safety concerns.

Over the past years, a small number (seven in total: Garuda Indonesia, Airfast Indonesia, Ekspress Transportasi Antarbenua, Indonesia Air Asia, Citilink, Lion Air, and Batik) were removed, but the bulk of Indonesian carriers remained on the list until today.

Major preventive tool

The EU Air Safety List not only helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU but also helps affected countries to improve their levels of safety, in order for them to eventually be taken off the list.

In addition, the EU Air Safety List has become a major preventive tool, as it motivates countries with safety problems to act upon them before a ban under the EU Air Safety List would become necessary.

Following today`s update, a total of 119 airlines are still banned from EU skies.

In addition, and in line with the European Union`s endeavor to make European airspace as safe as possible, Eurocontrol is today deploying a new system to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace.

Since November 2016, any non-European aircraft that enters the Union needs to have a single safety authorization valid throughout Europe called “third country operator authorization” or TCO.

The new system will alarm the Air Traffic Controllers of all Members States that an aircraft which does not have such an authorization is trying to fly into the Union airspace.

The aircraft will then be denied access to the airspace of that member state.
( (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)