Indonesia suspends operational license of airlines for rules violation

The Indonesian Transport Ministry has revoked operational licenses of six airlines due to their failure to comply with regulations, a move aiming at boosting services and safety in the industry.

Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan said on Wednesday that the permits were suspended because the airliners failed to meet the required ownership of planes.

"So far, they have never proven their ownership of plane, including leasing or renting planes," he said.

According to the minister, the six airlines - Jatayu, Nusantara Buana, Asco Nusa, Maleo, Manunggal Air Services and Survai Udara Penasare - were classified as scheduled and chartered airlines.

Scheduled or chartered airlines are required to own at least 5 planes and 5 rented planes while unscheduled airlines must have at least one plane and two rented planes.

The government vowed to step up safety check of airlines operating in the country following crash of an AirAsia plane in December in Indonesia's waters, which killed all 162 people aboard.

Indonesia has paid attention to the safety standard of aviation as the country had suffered a series of air accidents years ago and the European Union imposed a travel ban on Indonesian airlines in 2007, many of them budget airlines.

Two years later, the EU lifted the ban with the improvement of safety records.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago country with a population of over 238 million and a growing middle class, is a potential market for budget airlines as the government strives to build air transports to connect over 17,500 islands. Endi