By Xinhua,
Jakarta : The European Union on Thursday welcomed the adoption of a new Indonesian aviation law which introduces stricter safety regulations on Indonesian airliners.
EU has banned 51 Indonesian airliners, including leading carrier Garuda, from entering its territory since July 6 last year following a series of air accidents that had claimed more than 300 lives.
“The European Commission congratulates the Indonesian authorities on the passing of the aviation law,” the EU said in a statement obtained here on Thursday. “It is a significant development for the improvement of air safety in Indonesia.”
Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said the law, passed on Wednesday by the parliament, complied with all elements requested by the International Civil Aviation Organizations.
The new law came after the EU extended its ban on Indonesian airliners at its meeting in Brussels in November, saying a lot of work needs to be done to revoke the ban.
Plane is a popular way of traveling in the sprawling archipelago country of Indonesia with over 230 million people, but the lack of safety standards of Indonesian airliners has always been blamed for too many air accidents.