Airline News
AAPA to review Indonesian safety
May 11th 2015
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has said it plans to carry out security and safety inspections at Indonesia’s airports after the December 28, 2014, crash of an Indonesia AirAsia jet revealed significant safety loopholes in the archipelago. Read More » “We will start from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as it is the most crowded airport,” AAPA chairman, and Garuda Indonesia chief, Arif Wibowo said last week. ” [The] AAPA technical director team has sent an official letter to Angkasa Pura II but we have not received a reply.”
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s transport ministry director general, Suprasetyo, last week said only eight out of 19 scheduled airlines registered in the country had met an April 30 deadline to submit their audited 2014 financial reports. Those that have submitted audited statements are national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, its subsidiary Citilink, PT Travel Express Aviation Service, Transnusa Aviation Mandiri, Aviastar Mandiri, Kalstar Aviation, ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation and PT Jatayu Gelang Sejahtera. Indonesia AirAsia and Lion Air both missed the deadline, and have since been given an extension until June 30. “The ministry’s main purpose for instructing airlines to submit financial statements is to monitor and ensure that the country’s air transportation enterprises are in a healthy condition and have standardized services,” Suprasetyo has told media in a Jakarta press conference. Indonesia AirAsia and Lion Air declined to comment on the matter, The Jakarta Post has reported.
The Indonesian authorities last week also announced they would write off the remaining 1.5 trillion rupiah ($115 million) debt of state-owned Merpati Airlines which filed for bankruptcy last year. 2014 was generally a financially painful year for Indonesian carriers. Tigerair Mandala ceased operations in June following a loss of $178 million up to March that year. Flag carrier Garuda recorded a massive $234 million loss, its regional low-cost carrier offshoot, Citilink, lost $18 million, and AirAsia Indonesia booked a $56 million deficit. Lion Air is estimated to have turned a profit, though the public could not know for sure as audited reports have not been published.
