This audit of Indonesias largest low-cost airline is being carried out as 567 of its flight were delayed between Wednesday (February 18) and Friday (February 20).
The team will begin the audit on Tuesday (February 24) to comprehensively investigate Lion Airs standard operating procedure during crisis.
"We expect the inspection to be completed next week so we can make suggestions on aspects that need to be improved by Lion Air in its crisis management procedure," Suprasetyo stated at a press conference.
The Transportation Ministry had called the management of Lion Air to explain the delay of the 567 flights in various parts of Indonesia between Wednesday (February 18) and Friday (February 20).
Following these delays, the ministry declared that it will not process new flight permits for Lion Air.
According to Suprasetyo, the ministry will also freeze flight routes that the airline has not used in the last 21 days, such as the one between Ujung Pandang in South Sulawesi province and Jayapura in Papua province.
"For example, Lion Air flies from Jakarta to Batam five times a day. However, if only four of the five flights scheduled are used, we will terminate the one unused," he explained.
Furthermore, Director of Airport Service of Lion Air Daniel Putut affirmed that the company was ready to accept any sanction from the government as a form of responsibility to its passengers.
"As an airline company, we must obey regulations and conduct improvements," Putut remarked.
He added that Lion Air was now focusing on drafting and improving its crisis management standard operating procedure to avoid such delays in future. The delays last week had left some 155,000 passengers stranded at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and at other airports in Indonesia.
The delays began when seven Lion Air airplanes experienced damages due to various reasons. One airplane in Adi Soemarmo in Solo district was damaged after it hit a bird; three planes at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten province were damaged after strange objects entered their engines; and four other planes were damaged due to technical reasons.
Reporting by Yashinta Difa Pramudyani
Translating and editing by Amie Fenia Arimbi
EDITED BY INE
(A051/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
