jetjockey696
30th Jul 2013, 17:25
Airlines to Endure Tougher Penalties In Push for Safety
In a bid to improve flight safety, national aviation authorities are warning of stricter penalties on airlines and pilots found violating air traffic regulations.
Djoko Murjatmodjo, the Transportation Ministry’s director for air transportation, cited the suspension of 33 pilots from local airlines since the start of the year for exceeding the maximum number of flying hours, adding that he had ensured the management of the airlines were also well aware of the issue.
“We grounded 33 pilots who violated their flying hours. We not only disciplined the pilots but also the management of the airlines, in these cases the operational directors who issued the pilots their flying orders,” Djoko said on Tuesday.
He emphasized that both the airlines and the pilots would be given administrative sanctions and that the ministry was currently preparing a regulation that would charge violators with fines in the hope of deterring potential offenders.
Besides the violation of maximum flying hours, Djoko said airlines that violated flight schedules or those reported for chronic delays could see their Air Operating Certificate revoked.
“This happened to Pacific Royale, which last week saw its AOC revoked by us because it did not fly as scheduled,” he said.
“They will have to request a new AOC to be able to fly again, since their business license is still valid.”
He added that he was well aware that the grounding of pilots would result in fewer flights and would reduce airlines’ capacity, but emphasized the priority of safety.
Flight safety has been a growing concern among Indonesian airlines following a long history of deadly crashes, botched landings and runway collisions.
The latest major incident came on April 13, when a Lion Air jet fell short of the runway at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and was forced to make an emergency landing in the ocean. No one was killed in that incident, but the plane was destroyed.
Analysts have held the pilot responsible for violating flight procedures by flying lower than the minimum allowed altitude for a descent.
Meanwhile, the air transport director said he was also considering approving more licenses for Indonesian aviation schools, in a bid to nurture more qualified human resources for the booming aviation industry, especially pilots.
“We only have 16 aviation schools. In the United States, where a total of 900 million air passengers are transported annually, there are 1,600 aviation schools across the country,” Djoko said.
“As for us, we have 70 million passengers [annually], but only 16 aviation schools nationwide.”
Djoko also underlined that the length of aviation courses had created a gap between the number of new pilots and the industry’s demands. He said the shortest pilot course available lasted 18 months, and to become a captain, a pilot was expected to have 2,500 flying hours.
“It’s quite long, and therefore during the transition period we are forced to allow foreign pilots to work here. But when we have enough Indonesian pilots, then we will stop [allowing foreign pilots],” he said.
Djoko added that the return of Indonesian pilots who were working for foreign airlines including Korean Airlines, Singapore Airlines and European airlines — companies that were affected by the economic crisis — had been a relatively good boost to the industry.
JG 30/7/2013
In a bid to improve flight safety, national aviation authorities are warning of stricter penalties on airlines and pilots found violating air traffic regulations.
Djoko Murjatmodjo, the Transportation Ministry’s director for air transportation, cited the suspension of 33 pilots from local airlines since the start of the year for exceeding the maximum number of flying hours, adding that he had ensured the management of the airlines were also well aware of the issue.
“We grounded 33 pilots who violated their flying hours. We not only disciplined the pilots but also the management of the airlines, in these cases the operational directors who issued the pilots their flying orders,” Djoko said on Tuesday.
He emphasized that both the airlines and the pilots would be given administrative sanctions and that the ministry was currently preparing a regulation that would charge violators with fines in the hope of deterring potential offenders.
Besides the violation of maximum flying hours, Djoko said airlines that violated flight schedules or those reported for chronic delays could see their Air Operating Certificate revoked.
“This happened to Pacific Royale, which last week saw its AOC revoked by us because it did not fly as scheduled,” he said.
“They will have to request a new AOC to be able to fly again, since their business license is still valid.”
He added that he was well aware that the grounding of pilots would result in fewer flights and would reduce airlines’ capacity, but emphasized the priority of safety.
Flight safety has been a growing concern among Indonesian airlines following a long history of deadly crashes, botched landings and runway collisions.
The latest major incident came on April 13, when a Lion Air jet fell short of the runway at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and was forced to make an emergency landing in the ocean. No one was killed in that incident, but the plane was destroyed.
Analysts have held the pilot responsible for violating flight procedures by flying lower than the minimum allowed altitude for a descent.
Meanwhile, the air transport director said he was also considering approving more licenses for Indonesian aviation schools, in a bid to nurture more qualified human resources for the booming aviation industry, especially pilots.
“We only have 16 aviation schools. In the United States, where a total of 900 million air passengers are transported annually, there are 1,600 aviation schools across the country,” Djoko said.
“As for us, we have 70 million passengers [annually], but only 16 aviation schools nationwide.”
Djoko also underlined that the length of aviation courses had created a gap between the number of new pilots and the industry’s demands. He said the shortest pilot course available lasted 18 months, and to become a captain, a pilot was expected to have 2,500 flying hours.
“It’s quite long, and therefore during the transition period we are forced to allow foreign pilots to work here. But when we have enough Indonesian pilots, then we will stop [allowing foreign pilots],” he said.
Djoko added that the return of Indonesian pilots who were working for foreign airlines including Korean Airlines, Singapore Airlines and European airlines — companies that were affected by the economic crisis — had been a relatively good boost to the industry.
JG 30/7/2013