Fatal crash puts spotlight on Chinese-made planes
Indonesia has rejected calls for Chinese-made planes operated by state-owned Merpati Nusantara Airlines to be grounded following a fatal crash last weekend.
An MA-60 turbo-prop plane manufactured by China’s Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation crashed into the sea in eastern Indonesia as it was attempting to land in heavy rain, killing all 25 passengers and crew on board.
A transportation ministry spokesman, quoted by Agence France- Presse, said the planes would not be grounded pending the outcome of black box data investigations.
“We’re confident of the air-worthiness checks carried out by the Indonesian civil aviation authorities,†the spokesman said.
Merpati has 13 MA-60s in its fleet.
The crash was understood to be the first fatal accident involving an MA-60 anywhere in the world, according to AFP.
Merpati does not fly outside Indonesia, concentrating on short-haul destinations, including Bali.
The European Union banned all Indonesian airlines from entering its airspace in 2007, but relaxed the ban on some carriers two years later after it said safety issues had been resolved.
Ian Jarrett
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