Don’t get mad, get better, urges Indonesian VP

JAKARTA – The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has yet to give Indonesia’s airlines a clean bill of health following the latest probe into the country’s aviation sector.

Bali Update (ww.balidiscovery.com) reported that while noting improvements have been made in aviation safety, EASA decided to leave the current ban in place, saying much remains to be done before the skies of the republic can be declared “safe” for European travellers.

The EU reviewed the results of a six-man team sent to Indonesia to audit safety of domestic carriers.

The EU aviation safety and environment director Roberto Salvarani announced, “both the Indonesian presentation and the report of the audit by our own experts indicate there has been some progress.”

He added, “It (progress) is marginal when compared with the overall restructuring that the administration needs to do.”

Placing much of the blame on Indonesia’s civil aviation authority, Salvarani called for a complete reorganisation, with sufficient resources and political commitment to ensure the government is competent to oversee 42 air operators.

Salvarani concluded, “It’s obvious that today it cannot…so the decision was taken that the entire fleet from Indonesia will remain on the blacklist.”

Bali Update noted that the continuing “blacklisting” prohibits Indonesian aircraft from landing in Europe, a ban of little consequence given the fact that no Indonesian carrier currently flies to any European port.

“At the same time, however, the ban continues to cast Indonesian aviation in a negative light and thwarts the desires and abilities of European travellers to visit Indonesian destinations beyond their international port of arrival.”

In reaching its decision to continue its negative review of Indonesian air operations, the EU exchanged notes with the Australian Civil Aviation Authority and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration who reportedly supported the EU view that the administration of Indonesian flight operations still suffered from major weaknesses.

The Indonesian media reports that the Minister of Transportation, Jusman Syafii Djamal, was indignant at the continuing blacklisting of Indonesian aviation, depicting the decision as “discriminative” and vowing to send a letter of protest to the EU Commission on Transportation.

Meanwhile, vice president Jusuf Kalla has instructed Garuda Indonesia to seek an European-based consultant in order to enhance the quality and standards of aviation safety.

Bali Update said the instructions to hire a foreign consultant “comes as something of a surprise from the man who, in the past, has made no secret of his preference for local consultants”.

An interview with the vice president published in the Bali Post on December 1 provides background on Kalla’s call for the urgent hiring of a European aviation consultant.

The Interview: Jusuf Kalla

Bali Post: Why do you want to use a consultant from the European Union?

Jusuf Kalla: “Standards of safety and the quality of aviation in Europe is sometimes of a higher standard, even when compared to America (FAA). They have their own standard and we must improve our standards. I have ordered PT Garuda to seek a European consultant to fix those things we must fix.”

Bali Post: What actually needs to be done by the Indonesian aviation sector?

Jusuf Kalla: “What must be done by Indonesia is to improve the standards of safety and security on its flights, not to undertake protests or threaten retaliatory flight bans. The cornerstone of every flight is safety. Because of that, the standards used by the European Union are appropriate for everyone, including Indonesia. And, don’t forget, this is about our image. If Garuda can fly to Europe that would be nice.”

Bali Post: Will Indonesia retaliate with banning flights?

Jusuf Kalla: “Don’t be mad with the Europeans, look upon this as a wake up call to improve quality and safety of our flights. How can we be angry with someone else when it is we ourselves who have failed to make the grade?

“Don’t be emotional for that will only further reduce the quality and image of Indonesian aviation.”