EU to lift ban against four local airlines by July: Minister

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

The Jakarta Post

Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda has said the European Union would lift its ban against four airlines from Indonesia by next month thanks to the airlines’ improvements. Hassan told tempointeraktif.com on Monday that the EU would no longer ban Garuda Indonesia, Mandala Airlines, Prime Air and Air Fast.

“The EU regards that our local airlines have fulfilled 62 out of 69 requirements to fly to the continent,” he said during a hearing with the House of Representatives of Commission I on foreign and defence affairs.

He added that the expensive Global Positioning System (GPS) device was one of requirements hampering the airlines to get lifted from the EU ban list.

The EU has forbidden Indonesian airlines from flying to the association's 27 country members since 2007 following a series of fatal accidents.