RI Passes Federal Aviation Administration Standard

Bandung, W Java (Antara Bali) - Indonesia has passed the safety and security standard of the US-based Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a Transportation Ministry official said.

The FAA has upgraded Indonesias aviation rating from category 2 to category 1 after completing all phases of assessment, the Director of Airworthiness and Plane Operations of the Directorate General of Air Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Mohammad Alwi, said here on Thursday.

"After 10 years of efforts, we finally passed it and the US ambassador has congratulated me on it," he said.

Alwi said the FAA will officially present a certificate of aviation rating to Indonesia this week.

"After we have seen four ministers and four director generals being replaced, the efforts were finally successful. I have told Jonan (former Transportation Minister Ignatius Jonan) that I have accomplished my duties for the FAA," he said.

Alwi said the then Transportation Minister had threatened to dismiss him if he failed to improve the countrys aviation rating.

With Indonesia passing the FAA safety and security standard, Indonesian airlines will now be allowed to resume flights to the United States.

One of the Indonesian airlines, which will benefit from the rating, is national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, he said.

Garuda Indonesia President Director M Arif Wibowo had said earlier that the state airline will open flight routes linking Jakarta to New York and Los Angeles in 2017.(WDY)