"Safety must be guaranteed, and therefore, the implementation of safety programs will be tightened. Maintaining safety is important for our business. It is better that one does not fly rather than never land," Transportation Minister Ignatius Jonan noted in his speech during the opening of the general meeting of the members of the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) 2014 here on Thursday.
Jonan remarked that efforts to improve the safety standards had been started gradually.
In addition, he noted that the determination of flight safety regulations not only applied to the airlines but also on the airports.
"There are a lot of things that should be repaired, and the stakeholders should also be involved," Jonan affirmed.
Improving the safety standards was also a major expectation of INACA from the government as it could help to lower the safety risk and aircraft insurance cost.
Moreover, INACA Chairman Arif Wibowo stated that the improvement of safety standards should be conducted by the government, considering the competition at the regional and global levels that necessitated the implementation of international standards.
He pointed out that Indonesia was the only country in the ASEAN region that ranked the lowest in terms of aviation safety.
"In the ASEAN, only Indonesia and the Philippines had gone up from category two to one," he stated.
In Asia, the safety standards of India declined from category one to category two.
Arif urged the government to improve its infrastructure, supervision, and the implementation of on-field regulations.
"This is to ensure that there were no presence of dangerous goods, animals, and kites at the airport. It requires the efforts of all stakeholders such as the operator and regulator," he added.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
