Indonesian airlines cleared for take off in America after nine-year ban
Indonesian airlines will be able to take off in America following a nine-year ban after having been cleared by regulators.
A safety review by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Indonesia had been upgraded to a top-tier safety rating – Category 1 – after nearly 10 years.
Airlines must hold a Category 1 rating to be able to fly to the US as well as operate codeshare flights with American airlines.
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A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) 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 in a statement.
The FAA first assessed Indonesia's civil aviation authority in September 1997 and found it in compliance with ICAO standards and then lowered the rating from Category 1 to Category 2 in April 2007, after a number of accidents.
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It comes after the European Union recently lifted a ban on Indonesian airlines. Some airlines, including Garuda Indonesia, now fly to Europe.
Garuda, the state-owned national airline, could launch flights as early as next year, according go the Wall Street Journal.