INDONESIAN airlines are now allowed to fly to the US after a safety ban lasting nearly a decade got lifted, officials announced yesterday.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has upgraded Indonesia’s aviation safety rating after various assessments determined that the industry has met international standards.
“After 10 years of efforts, we finally passed it,” said Mohammad Alwi, director general of air transportation at Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation in an interview with Antara news agency.
The announcement was made just as national carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to open services between Jakarta and the US cities of New York and Los Angeles in 2017.
The lift also opens opportunities for the Indonesian flag carrier to form more codeshare agreements with Skyteam member airlines.
The FAA imposed the ban on Indonesian airlines in 2007 due to the country’s lack of “law and regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards”.
