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All Indonesian airlines removed from EU banned list
The European Union has removed all Indonesian airlines from its safety blacklist.
Acknowledging the steps taken to improve safety standards, The EU directive now gives any carrier in Indonesia the opportunity to apply to fly routes to Europe.
Still, it makes little difference as the only Indonesian airlines with the financial clout and aircraft to actually fly long haul had already been removed from the blacklist progressively over the past few years.
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is the only one currently flying to the EU.
All airlines were banned back in 2007 after a spate of accidents and since then Garuda and its budget arm Citilink, and others including AirAsia Indonesia and Lion Air were gradually removed from the blacklist.
The decision followed an assessment visit by EU officials earlier this year.
"I am particularly glad that after years of work, we are today able to clear all air carriers from Indonesia. It shows that hard work and close cooperation pay off," said EU commissioner for transport Violeta Bulc.
In a recent assessment late last year, the International Civil Aviation Organisation upgraded Indonesia’s safety ranking from 151 to 55.
The decision was hailed by Indonesia’s transport ministry Budi Karya Sumadi.
"I must thank all stakeholders for having followed the `rule of the game` to meet the international safety standards. It is a (matter of) pride in itself and makes it possible for them to market their products to attract more attention and boost their sales," Sumadi told reporters.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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