Sriwijaya Air crash jet was grounded for nine months in 2020
The Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea at the weekend had spent nearly nine months idle during the Covid-19 pandemic
According to Indonesia’s Transport Ministry, the Boeing 737-500 jet was grounded in March and only resumed flying on 19 December.
The ministry said it was inspected and cleared as safe to fly.
The aircraft went down just minutes after taking off from Jakarta Airport on Saturday.
There were 62 people on board.
The aircraft’s first flight after the long hiatus was a test flight without passengers, the ministry said.
It resumed commercial flights on 22 December, about two weeks before the crash.
Aviation experts have warned about various issues with planes left in storage for months such as engine corrosion.
When they are ready to restart flying, special inspection protocols are required that would not normally be needed during routine checks.
There is also speculation the aircraft’s age may have been a factor.
It is 26 years old and has been in the Sriwijaya Air fleet since 2012.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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