Indonesian carriers have been granted clearance to start operating flights to the US.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that Indonesia now complies with international safety standards and has been granted a category 1 rating.
The new safety rating could open the door for Indonesia’s national airline Garuda to start operating flights to the US - Antara news agency reported the airline’s vice president of corporate communications, Benny S. Butarbutar, as saying that Garuda wants to commence services to New York and Los Angeles, with two or three flights per week.
“Well make our flight schedule convenient for the people and thus win the markets trust,” he added. The flights are likely to involve a stop in Narita airport, Japan.
The FAA first granted the country the top safety rating but downgraded it in 2007 after a number of high-profile incidents.
While under a Category 2 rating, a country lacks the laws and regulations to oversee aircraft in accordance with international standards.
"With the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating, Indonesian air carriers...can establish service to the United States and carry the code of US carriers," the FAA said.
According to data from Flightglobal Indonesia has had 13 fatal crashes in the past 10 years.
Key aviation incidents
- 2011: Nusantara Buana Air crashed in Sumatra, killing all 18 people on board
- 2013: Lion Air flight crash landed in the sea off the resort island of Bali, but all on board survived
- 2014: AirAsia flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 162 people on board
Source: The BBC/Flightglobal
“This is an achievement we’ve been waiting for since 2007,” Suprasetyo, director general for Air Transport at the ministry, told reporters in Jakarta. “There are several airlines that are ready to fly to the U.S.”