IATA – Need for safety initiatives in Indonesia

Posted by- Neelam Mathews
Sept 25, 2011

IATA has emphasized the need for attention to safety oversight, particularly as the industry is rapidly developing. Between 2005 and 2010, Indonesia recorded a total of 33 accidents. It has called on Indonesia to implement coordinated policy measures in aviation.

Between 2010 and 2014, Indonesia is expected to be the sixth fastest growing market for international passengers. In 2014 Indonesia will rank as the ninth largest domestic market and among the top 10 for international freight. 

“Indonesia is 1.4% of global traffic but accounted for 4% of all accidents in 2010. Every accident is a reminder of the need to improve. Many efforts have been made in recent years to improve Indonesia’s safety record. An indication of the success of these efforts is seen in the removal of five Indonesian carriers from Europe’s list of banned airlines. Now we need a coordinated initiative by all stakeholders to solve the safety issue once and for all and restore confidence in all of Indonesia’s airlines,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO. 

 “The potential for aviation in Indonesia is enormous. Alongside its significant domestic traffic, its location at the heart of southeast Asia gives this market tremendous potential. As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) moves forward with liberalization, it is important that Indonesia is well-prepared with a safe industry operating on global standard infrastructure,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO. 

“Safety is our top priority and IATA is here to assist. I urge Indonesia to mandate the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for all Indonesian carriers. Similarly, I encourage the mandating of the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) at Indonesian airports to manage better safety on the ground. Together, such proactive actions will send a clear signal to the world that Indonesia is serious about solving its safety issues,” said Tyler. 

Runway excursions – instances where the aircraft leaves the runway – accounted for 21% of global accidents in 2010.  Three of the four accidents in Indonesia in 2010 were runway excursions.  

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport urgently needs additional capacity. Traffic reached 43.7 million passengers in 2010. This already surpasses the 38 million passenger capacity that the airport will have when Terminal 3 eventually becomes fully operational. A solution is urgently needed. Without sufficient capacity in Jakarta, Indonesia risks missing the economic benefits that should accompany ASEAN liberalization in the coming years,” said Tyler.

IATA is promoting process improvements that could increase the quality and efficiency of the passenger experience, namely IATA Fast Travel for passenger processing and Checkpoint of the Future for security. Tyler urged Indonesia to join governments that have endorsed the principles for the Checkpoint of the Future.

With over 18,000 islands crossing an expanse of over 5,000 km, aviation is the critical link in Indonesia. While in Jakarta, Tyler met with Garuda Indonesia CEO Emirsyah Satar.