GOVERNMENT DISAPPOINTED WITH EXTENDED FLIGHT BAN
Tempo Interaktive - November 30, 2007TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The European Union (EU) Commission decided to extend the ban of Indonesia’s airlines of flying to Europe for three months, Wednesday (28/11). The government said it was disappointed with the EU Commission.
Transportation Minister, Jusman Syafii Djamal, said he has contacted Indonesia’s Ambassador to the EU to convey Indonesia’s disappointment. He also viewed that the ban extension is not a technical matter. “There are other matters,” said Jusman in his office.
Chappy Hakim, former Head of the National Team for Transportation Security and Safety also believed that the EU’s policy is disproportionate. The reason is the flight ban tends to be a response with economic and political motives rather than technical. If the technical motives were the base, the response would also be technical.
That is why he asked the government to be resolute to Europe. “The government must ask, what is it you really want?” said the former Indonesian Military (TNI) Air Force Chief of Staff. EU’s answer will be the basis to determine improvement measures so that the ban can be revoked soon.
EU is considered to have applied double standard. If Indonesia’s aviation is not up to standard, EU must not fly its aircraft to Indonesia either.
The EU Commission issued the flight ban on July 6, 2007 against several airlines, including all national airlines. However, based on the announcement on the EU Commission’s website on November 28, 2007, EU extended the flight ban for all national airlines, which totals 51.
During a meeting in the State Palace, last Friday (23/11), President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono “persuaded” EU Commission President, Jose Manuel Barosso, so that the ban would be revoked. But Barosso said that depended on technical problems.
House Flight Caucus Chairman, Alvin Lie, said that this is proof of diplomatic failure in addition to political and economic nuances. The evidence put forth to Europe was also weak. “Even a first-class airline still undergoes incidents,” he said.
Harun Mahbub Billah
Source: Tempo Interaktive - www.tempointeraktif.com