The fine is aimed at the airline owner…Batam (ANTARA) - A DA62 aircraft from Johor, Malaysia, which recently crossed into Indonesian airspace over the Batam area without a permit, will be fined Rp5 billion, an official informed on Saturday.
"The fine is aimed at the airline owner since the flight crew is only the pilot," head of the Hang Nadim Airbase Operations Service, Major Lek Wardoyo, said in Batam, Riau Islands.
The fine is based on Article 10 Paragraph 2 of the Indonesian government’s regulation securing the national airspace, he added.
"Foreign non-scheduled civil aircraft flying to and from or through the airspace must have diplomatic clearance, security clearance, and flight approval," Wardoyo informed.
Based on these rules, anyone who violates Article 10 Paragraph 2 will invite sanctions in the form of an administrative fine of up to Rp5 billion.
"Currently, we have secured them (the aircraft crew) in the safe house, while they are being processed for the filing. Previously, a PCR test had also been carried out," he added.
Regarding the protection of the three crew members, he said they were only asked to complete the paperwork.
"The filing is being done through an operator appointed as the Indonesian representative. After completing the filing and other things, we will allow them to fly again," Wardoyo said.
On May 13, 2022, the Indonesian Air Force had ordered a foreign aircraft from Johor, Malaysia, to land at Hang Nadim Airport, Batam city, Riau Islands, for entering Indonesian airspace without permission.
The calibration aircraft was carrying three crew members—all British nationals. They have been taken to a safe house in the Hang Nadim Airport area.
After they landed in Batam, the crew members underwent a health check at the Batam Port Health Office and were declared healthy. They also received a COVID-19 booster vaccine.
The Immigration Office also said that there were no illegal items on the plane and the immigration documents of the crew, namely passports, were complete.
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Translator: Ilham Yude Pratama, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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