Independent Air Worthiness Certification Board Needed

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Member of House of Representatives' Commission-V Sigit Sosiantomo has urged the government to immediately form an international standard independent air worthiness certification board to ensure air transportation safety.

"Repeated cases of active pilots who were found engaging in drug orgy has indicated that air worthiness license given to the pilots did not meet international standard," Sigit said here on Thursday.

He said the incident of a pilot who was caught engaging in drug orgy in Makassar, South Sulawesi, recently happened only four months after the similar case in Tangerang, Banten.

"Ironically the two pilots came from the same airline company," Sigit said.

Sigit pointed out that periodical urine and blood test should be conducted to detect if a pilot used drugs or not.

The politician from Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also deplored air transportation directorate general which was slow to handled the case.

Article 58 in Law No.1/2009 on aviation stated that every pilot should have a license from transportation ministry if the pilot concerned had met administrative procedure, was physically and  mentally health, had the certification of competence in his or her field, and passed the test.

"With the independent certification board, it will facilitate transportation minister to take supervisory action if a problem happens," Sigit said.(IGT)