Travel News Today

The International Air Transport Association said on Friday that the Indonesian government is considering adopting IATA's operational safety audit for all its airline operators in a bid to improve standards.

Indonesia's airline industry has grown rapidly in the past decade following liberalization, with the launch of several new players and a wider choice of routes across the sprawling archipelago.

However, the world's fourth-most populous country has suffered a string of airline disasters in recent years, raising concerns about safety standards and prompting the European Union to ban all Indonesian airlines from its airspace.

The Indonesian government has said it is addressing these safety issues and wants the EU to lift the ban.

Giovanni Bisignani, Director General of IATA, said at a media briefing that Indonesia's transportation minister had told him the government intends to adopt the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

«I am very pleased after the conversation with the minister yesterday (Thursday), he told me that he was considering to implement all Indonesian carriers to go through IOSA,» Bisignani said.

IATA has suggested the government make IOSA mandatory, he said, adding the international community would welcome such commitment by the government.

«My suggestion is to speed this up, the international community is still waiting for clear actions and this is a very good signal that the government is moving in the right direction,» he added.

A year ago, a commercial flight operated by the country's flag carrier Garuda Indonesia crashed in Yogyakarta, killing more than 20 people, including five Australians.

«If an airline goes through IOSA and it is in the registry, it will present itself very, very well and it is very, very possible that the EU will consider this as a relevant aspect to take them away from the blacklist,» Bisignani said.

(Reuters)