Alhamdulillah (all praises be to God), today is a historic day for the Indonesian people. 
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian and Singaporean governments have agreed to make adjustments to the Flight Information Region (FIR) for the air space over Riau Islands and Natuna Islands, Indonesian Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has informed.

Earlier, the FIR in these areas was served by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, he said.

“Alhamdulillah (all praises be to God), today is a historic day for the Indonesian people. We have succeeded in carrying out the mandate of Law Number 1/2009 on Aviation. It shows the seriousness of the Indonesian government," he remarked in a statement received here on Tuesday.

To expedite the implementation of the agreement, the government will intensively carry out further processes in accordance with applicable laws and regulations as Indonesia and Singapore must convey the agreement to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), he added.

The adjustment will provide a number of benefits to Indonesia, such as confirming international recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty on air space over its territory, in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Sumadi said.

The other benefit is a further improvement in the quality of flight services and safety in Indonesia, he added.

Regarding the flight safety aspect, it has been agreed that Indonesia will delegate around 29 percent of the air space over the islands to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on a limited basis, since the region is one of Indonesia’s entry gates, which has to accommodate a lot of flight schedules, the minister informed.

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However, the flight navigation services cost in the delegated air space will go to Indonesia as revenue as the owner of the air space, he said. Hence, the arrangement will maintain the flight safety aspect without the loss of any potential state income, he added.

Further, Civil and Military Cooperation on Aviation Traffic Management will be carried out to supervise the delegation of air space management by placing Indonesian personnel in Singapore and imposing Aviation Navigation Services (PJNP) fees, in accordance with the regulations in Indonesia, he said.

Sumadi emphasized that the delegation would be closely monitored and evaluated by the ministry.

"Evaluation of the limited PJNP delegation at the Indonesian FIR will be held periodically or on an attached basis by Indonesian personnel assigned at the Singaporean air traffic control tower," he added.

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Translator: Adimas Fahky, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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