Indonesian carriers seek removal from EU blacklist

Three of Indonesia’s largest carriers—Batik Air, Citilink and Lion Air—are seeking a reappraisal of the European Union’s (EU) carrier blacklist next month. Of the country’s major carriers, only national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has been granted full EU access since it was delisted in 2009.

“An EU team will review our Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) oversight of the airlines, both in terms of organization and regulation,” Indonesian Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations, Muhammad Alwi said.

He said the airlines would be subject to a safety and operations audit by a team of seven EU inspectors that were scheduled to arrive in Indonesia in the last two weeks of April.

Alwi said the three carriers would be subject to ongoing checks via the DGCA for a period of at least 10 days, and the key issue would be the meeting of specific EU-specified standards to see a potential removal from the EU blacklist. “Our job is to meet all the targets, including the lifting of the flight ban for the airlines,” he said.

As of the end of December 2015, Indonesia has 57 airlines banned on the EU list.

The country has come under sustained criticism for the application of its safety standards over recent years, as both Transport Minister Ignatius Jonan and airline body spokesperson Andrew Herdman warned of a need to increase operational standards.

If the review is successful and the three carriers are removed from the blacklist, Alwi said the DGCA would put forward a further list of airlines for audit. “Going forward, we will propose four other operators including air charter carriers,” he said.