Batik Air flight makes emergency landing in Indonesia, no bomb found

An Indonesian Batik Air flight with 122 people on board made an emergency landing in Makassar in South Sulawesi after a suspected bomb threat, a government official said on Friday.

No bomb was found on the plane.

"I got a call from Sultan Hasanuddin airport in Makassar giving information about a bomb on Batik Air flight flying from Ambon to Jakarta," said J.A. Barata, spokesman for the transport ministry.

"Details on how they found out is unclear yet, I'm still waiting for information. The police is in charge of that now."

The plane was isolated from other flights and airport operations were not affected, said Tommy Soetomo, chief executive of airport operator Ankasara Pura I.

Batik Air is a subsidiary of Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air.

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ASEAN Open Sky policy spells bad weather for Indonesian airlines

As early as January next year, ASEAN carriers will fly freely across the region to any airport and as often as they want, as part of the ASEAN Open Sky policy. Ahead of that, the Indonesian government is taking steps to make sure Indonesian airlines can compete with other airlines in the region.

ASEAN is moving towards a single aviation market, with the aim of higher efficiency, better connectivity and cheaper fares. In Indonesia, the biggest economy in the bloc, the open sky policy is expected to create almost 30,000 jobs and add almost US$500,000 to the country’s GDP.

Yet, Jakarta has not signed off on the deal on concerns about competition, because Indonesia charges more than its regional peers for aviation services.
Djoko Murjatmodjo, Acting Director General for Air Transport at the Ministry of Transportation, said: “We are aware there are problems regarding the high price of aviation fuel as well as import tariffs for airlines and aircraft spare parts. The airline association and the Transportation Ministry are taking steps to reduce these tariffs.”

Currently, aviation fuel in Indonesia is 13 per cent more expensive than Singapore. The policy also calls for Medan, Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and Makassar to open their airports, but those airports and cities do not have the capacity to accommodate a swell in passenger numbers.

Indonesia said efforts are underway to address fuel costs, infrastructure development and personnel training to manage aviation traffic. However, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said a key problem is the government itself. “The trouble is in ASEAN - government owns a lot of businesses. So there’s a huge conflict. Am I regulating AirAsia or is he my competitor? That’s the real problem. When I criticise governments, they say I’m criticising them. I’m criticising the airline or the regulator, so this is the Jekyll and Hyde situation. Governments need to decide what’s good for my people.”

So far, eight ASEAN member states have ratified the agreement. Indonesia has only ratified the ASEAN’s Multilateral Agreement on Air Services but has not ratified the agreement on cargos and passengers. As the Open Sky policy will take into effect only when all agreements are ratified, it may be up to the next administration to pick up what the current government has left off.

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Jetstar Asia takes over Valuair flights to Indonesia

Budget carrier Jetstar Asia will take over operations of Valuair flights between Singapore and its four ports in Indonesia from Sunday (Oct 26).

This follows the lifting of operating restrictions for foreign low cost carriers (LCCs) by the Indonesian government, Jetstar Asia said in a press release on Friday (Oct 24).

It added that it will continue operating up to 52 return services between Singapore and Indonesia, with no changes to the current schedule. Flights operated under the Valuair "VF" flight code will now be operated with the Jetstar Asia "3K" code.

“It’s business as usual for our flights between Singapore and Indonesia,” Jetstar Asia CEO Barathan Pasupathi said.

“Operating under the one brand with one airline code will further streamline and simplify customer communications particularly for our growing number of Indonesia passengers travelling with us through Singapore to one of the other 18 Jetstar Asia destinations.”

Jetstar Asia currently has a fleet of 18 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft, and flies from Singapore to Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Denpasar (Bali). Valuair when launched in 2004 was the first low-cost airline in Singapore, but was acquired the next year by Jetstar Asia.

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Indonesia's Garuda makes US$5b plane order: Boeing

Indonesian flag carrier Garuda has placed an order for 50 planes worth almost US$5 billion, US plane giant Boeing said, as competition heats up for passengers in Asia's increasingly crowded skies.

Garuda ordered 46 of Boeing's new 737 MAX 8 jets and is converting existing orders for four 737-800s to 737 MAX 8s, the plane manufacturer said. The purchase is worth US$4.9 billion at current list prices, although airlines typically receive large discounts for big orders. "This order helps continue our commitment to offer the people of Indonesia and Southeast Asia the most comfortable, most efficient air travel in the region," said Emirsyah Satar, Garuda chief executive officer.

The aviation sector in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country with 250 million people, has grown rapidly in recent years as an economic boom creates a new class of consumers. Garuda, a state-owned, full-service airline, is facing stiff competition from budget carriers in the region, such as fellow Indonesian outfit Lion Air - which has expanded rapidly - and Malaysia's Air Asia.

The announcement marks the latest phase in an impressive turnaround for the airline. In the 1990s and early 2000s the airline was plagued by problems, including heavy debts and a poor safety record, but Satar has successfully turned it around since his appointment in 2005. It was the first Indonesian firm to be allowed back into European Union airspace in 2009 after a ban was imposed across the country's airline industry.

The 737 MAX family of aircraft are single-aisle jets that carry around 200 passengers. Boeing says they are the most fuel-efficient 737s to date, a key selling point as airlines struggle with high fuel prices. Garuda currently operates 77 Boeing 737s, Boeing said in a statement announcing the purchases on Sunday. It did not say when Garuda would start to take delivery.

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Thai Airways jet makes emergency landing in Bali due to cracked window

A Thai Airways plane en route from Sydney to Bangkok made an emergency landing on the Indonesian island of Bali after a crack was discovered in the cockpit window, officials said Wednesday (Aug 13).

The Boeing 747, carrying 273 passengers and 21 crew, was six hours into the journey Tuesday when the captain found the defect and decided to land on Bali, the airline said in a statement. The Daily Mail Australia identified the flight as TG467 and reported that the cracked window caused a fall in cabin pressure.

A spokesman for the island's airport described the landing at around 5pm (0900 GMT) as a "minor disruption".

There were no reports of injuries and the passengers stayed in a Bali hotel overnight. They were set to fly on to Bangkok later Wednesday in another plane. Thai Airways said it was sending a team to Bali to investigate the incident and supervise the changing of the damaged window.

In September last year, more than a dozen passengers were slightly injured when a Thai Airways jet skidded off the runway in Bangkok after the landing gear malfunctioned.

Just over a week before that incident, dozens of passengers and crew were injured when a Thai Airways A380 superjumbo hit severe turbulence during a flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong.

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Asia tourist boom fuels airport binge

Faced with snaking queues at immigration, overflowing baggage carousels and expensive flight delays, Asian nations are rushing to build hundreds of new airports to cope with surging demand for air travel in the region.

From China and India to the Philippines and Indonesia, the fast-growing middle classes are looking to spend their cash by spreading their wings, leading to a boom in the Asia-Pacific region's tourism sector. Airlines have responded by setting up several new budget carriers and flying new routes -- but many airports are unable to cope, forcing governments to either expand or simply build new airports.

"Through the next 10 years, we see more than 350 new airports in the Asia-Pacific and the investment cost will be well over $100 billion," said Chris De Lavigne, a global vice president at business consultancy Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific.

"China is building over 100 airports, India is building over 60 airports and Indonesia will also have to follow suit with investments in its infrastructure," said De Lavigne, who closely tracks Asia's aviation industry.

Upgrades of existing airports could cost an additional $25 billion, he told AFP by telephone from his office in Jakarta. International tourist arrivals in Asia-Pacific grew an annual 6.0 per cent to 248 million last year, the strongest of any region worldwide, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. To cope with this, construction is being ramped up.

The Canada-based Airports Council International (ACI) said in a report that Indonesia plans to build 62 new airports in the next five years, in addition to its existing 237. Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta is improving capacity after handling 60 million passengers last year, nearly three times what it was designed for, ACI said.

And Kuala Lumpur aims to double capacity to 100 million a year by 2020, while Hong Kong wants to handle 97 million annually by 2030, up from 60 million in 2013. In Beijing -- which already has a hub servicing 80 million people -- a second, $11 billion airport is being built to open in 2018 and handle 40 million passengers, Sydney-based consultancy Centre for Aviation said.

There are also plans for a full replacement of Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport, one of Asia's most notorious for overcrowding and backward facilities. Its Terminal 1, which is undergoing a major makeover, was built in 1981 to handle six million passengers a year. Together with two extension terminals, the airport handled around 30 million passengers in 2013.

Even Singapore's Changi -- regarded by many as one of the world's best -- is expanding, with a $1.0 billion Terminal 4 opening in 2017 that will raise capacity to 82 million passengers from the current 54 million. Plans are already being made for a Terminal 5.

Shukor Yusof, an analyst with Malaysia-based Endau Analytics, said airport infrastructure in many countries has lagged well behind travel growth.

"Many governments have paid scant attention to developing new terminals and new tarmacs, that's why you find that many of the airports are bursting at the seams," he said.

The focus is not just on capitals. The need for more space means much of the new construction is taking place in secondary cities, with some facilities potentially becoming hubs.

De Lavigne cited the Kualanamu International Airport in Indonesia's Medan, which opened last July and could become a hub for flights to Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, India and China. It was designed to handle eight million passengers a year but is already at capacity, he said.

"By 2025, they're forecasting 24 million passengers out of Medan, or a three-fold increase in just over 10 years," De Lavigne said, adding that Indonesia's aviation sector alone is growing 14-15 per cent a year.

Even less developed tourist destinations are pressing ahead with building. Myanmar -- returning to the global fold after decades of isolation -- is looking to upgrade 39 airports as tourist and domestic air passenger figures are seen surging to 30 million in 2030 from 4.2 million in 2013, the ACI said.

The government is also building a new $1.5 billion Hanthawaddy International Airport to serve as Yangon's second airport, it added.

Bangladesh is constructing a new airport costing up to $7.2 billion about 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Dhaka, ACI said. Funding from governments and the private sector does not appear to be a problem.

"There's a lot of liquidity out there. There's a lot of money in project financing," Shukor said.

Airports are now even targeting non-travellers, with the current trend for "aeroparks and aerotropolises" integrating lifestyle amenities, attracting diners and shoppers who won't even board flights.

"You get people who don't fly to come into the airports for food, shopping and other lifestyle activities. That trend which started in the West is increasingly finding its way into Asia," De Lavigne said.

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Lion Air reportedly in talks to buy Qantas stake in Jetstar

Indonesian carrier Lion Air is reportedly in talks with Australia’s Qantas Airways to buy its stake in Singapore-based budget airline Jetstar Asia.

Reuters reported on Monday that the talks to acquire Qantas’ 49 per cent stake in Jetstar are still at an early stage, citing an unidentified person familiar with the matter.

The source also said any purchase would have to be approved by Singapore regulators. It is not known how much the potential deal would be worth.

According to Reuters, a Qantas spokesperson called the matter “speculation”, while Jetstar and Lion Air declined to comment.

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Tigerair Mandala to cease operations from July 1

The Indonesian budget carrier Tigerair Mandala will cease operations from July 1, 2014 after its shareholders decided to stop funding the airline.

Tigerair Mandala has been struggling to make a profit. It booked six consecutive quarterly losses, with a loss of S$95 million for the first quarter of this year.

Tigerair Mandala is 35.8 per cent owned by Singapore's Tigerair. The other shareholders include Saratoga Group and PT Cardig International.

Tigerair and other shareholders have explored various options for the carrier in recent months but failed to get a buyer.

They concluded that the carrier would not be able to sustain its operations.

Group CEO of Tigerair, Lee Lik Hsin, said Indonesia remains an important market for the airline and it will continue to maintain an active presence there through Tigerair Singapore.

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Indonesia's Batik Air to launch international service

An airline owned by Indonesia's Lion Group announced on Thursday it will launch international services with a flight from Jakarta to Singapore later this year.

Batik Air, which is part of the Lion Group that also owns Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air, will start the flights by November or December, said its chief executive Achmad Luthfie.

The airline, which operates as a full-service carrier with meals and drinks and offers business and economy class seating, began operations in May last year servicing domestic destinations in Indonesia.

"Our first international destination will be Singapore and we aim to have more than a daily service on the route," Luthfie said in a statement.

"We chose Singapore as our first international destination because we can see that demand continues to increase," he added.

Speaking at a news conference in Singapore, Luthfie said Batik Air plans to fly next from the Indonesian capital to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Luthfie said that eventually it is looking to fly to Southern China and Western Australia.

On the domestic front, the airline plans to more than double its network to 22 destinations including Palembang, Solo and Batam.

Luthfie said the carrier is currently filling 90 percent of seats.

Batik Air operates six Boeing 737-900ER aircrafts and is based in Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

Six Airbus A320 aircraft and four Boeing 737-800 planes will be delivered by the end of this year, the airline said.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of over 17,000 islands cutting across three time zones, relies heavily on air transport and is experiencing a sharp growth in its aviation sector, thanks to a rapidly rising middle class.

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46 flights out of Singapore cancelled after volcano erupted

A volcanic eruption in Java, Indonesia has caused 46 flights out of Singapore to five Indonesian cities to be cancelled, as of 7.40pm Friday.

The cities are Semarang, Solo, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Bandung.

The eruption has killed at least two people and forced mass evacuations, disrupting long-haul flights and closing international airports.

In a Facebook post, Singapore's Changi Airport advised passengers travelling to these cities to check with their respective airlines on their flight's status before going to the airport.

About 215 Singapore Airlines passengers were affected.

Responding to a media query, a SIA spokesperson said that two of its flights have been cancelled -- SQ930 from Singapore to Surabaya and SQ931 from Surabaya to Singapore.

SIA said customers have been rebooked on flights for Saturday and hotel accommodation has been extended to those affected.

The airline will waive administrative fees and penalties for refunds, re-booking, re-routing for customers holding confirmed tickets issued before 14 February 2014 for travel to and from Surabaya, Solo, Yogyakarta and Semarang from now to 18 February 2014.

Passengers are to note that flights to Solo, Yogyakarta and Semarang are operated by SilkAir. They are advised to speak to SilkAir for updates.

Separately an update on SilkAir's website said four flights have been cancelled - SilkAir flights MI 226/225 to Surabaya, MI 102/101 to Semarang, MI 152/151 to Yogyakarta and MI 196/195 to Bandung.

Affected passengers requiring assistance are advised to call SilkAir at +65 62238888.

Meanwhile AirAsia Indonesia has cancelled 16 flights and TigerAir 24.

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Three dead, flights disrupted as Indonesia volcano erupts

A spectacular volcanic eruption in Indonesia has killed three people and forced mass evacuations, disrupting long-haul flights and closing international airports on Friday.

Mount Kelud, considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the main island of Java, spewed red-hot ash and rocks high into the air late Thursday night just hours after its alert status was raised.

Villagers in eastern Java described the terror of volcanic materials raining down on their homes, while AFP correspondents at the scene saw residents covered in grey dust fleeing in cars and on motorbikes towards evacuation centres.

Sunar, a 60-year-old from a village eight kilometres (five miles) in Blitar district, said his home also collapsed after being hit with "rocks the size of fists".

"The whole place was shaking -- it was like we were on a ship in high seas. We fled and could see lava in the distance flowing into a river," said Sunar, who goes by one name.

A man and a woman, both elderly, were crushed to death after volcanic material that had blanketed rooftops caused their homes in the sub-district of Malang to cave in, National Disaster Mitigation Agency Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, while another elderly man died from inhaling the ash.

Dian Julihadi, 32, from Blitar district, said: "It was like fireworks. There was a loud bang and bright red lights shot up into the air."

Nugroho confirmed the materials were still raining down on villages within a radius of 15 kilometres from the volcano on Friday, but said that some activities were resuming "as normal".

Some 200,000 people were ordered to evacuate, though some families ignored the orders and others have returned home, with just over 75,000 now in temporary shelters, Nugroho said.

Several men who had earlier tried to return home to gather clothing and valuables -were forced back by the continuous downpour of volcanic materials.

"Too dangerous to fly"

The ash has blanketed eastern Javanese cities forcing seven airports to close, including those in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Bandung, which serve international flights, officials said, while grounded planes were seen covered in the dust.

"All flights to those airports have been cancelled, and other flights, including some between Australia and Indonesia, have been rerouted," Transport Ministry director general of aviation Herry Bakti said, adding it was "too dangerous to fly" near the plume.

In Singapore, Changi Airport advises passengers travelling to Semarang, Solo, Surabaya and Yogyakarta to check with their respective airlines on their flight's status before going to the airport.

Virgin Australia said in a statement it had cancelled all its flights to and from Phuket, Bali, Christmas Island and Cocos Island on Friday, adding that "the safety of our customers is the highest priority" and that the airline would keep monitoring conditions.

Australian nurse Susanne Webster, 38, was on a late-morning Virgin flight from Sydney to Bali that was turned around.

"About two hours in, the pilot announced over in Indonesia there was a volcano that erupted and that we were turning the plane back," she told AFP, adding they were still in Australian airspace at the time.

Australian airline Qantas postponed Friday flights between Jakarta and Sydney to Saturday, while Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific cancelled and postponed flights to Surabaya, a popular destination for golfing tourists.

AirAsia said 21 flights were affected in total, including three between Indonesian and Malaysia, adding several flights over Java were cancelled.

"The ashes could... compromise the safety and performance of the aircraft, such as (cause) permanent damage to the engine," AirAsia said in a statement, adding visibility was also a concern.

On the outskirts of Yogyakarta, authorities closed Borobudur -- the world's largest Buddhist temple, which attracts hundreds of tourists daily -- after it was rained upon with dust from the volcano about 200 kilometres to the east.

Hundreds of people at a temporary shelter in the village of Bladak, roughly 10 kilometres from the volcano's crater, began returning home slowly after spending the night on the floor wearing safety masks.

The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said there was little chance of another eruption as powerful as Thursday night's, but tremors could still be felt Friday as communities began clearing piles of ash up to five centimetres high on roads.

The 1,731-metre (5,712-foot) Mount Kelud has claimed more than 15,000 lives since 1500, including around 10,000 deaths in a massive eruption in 1568.

It is one of 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

Earlier this month another volcano, Mount Sinabung on western Sumatra island unleashed an enormous eruption that left at least 16 dead and has been erupting almost daily since September.

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Gallant Venture, Garuda Indonesia to develop Bintan Island into aviation hub

Singapore investment company Gallant Venture is tying up with flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia to develop Bintan Island.

The plan is to turn Bintan Island into a tourism and aviation hub.

Both companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Singapore Airshow 2014 on Tuesday.

As part of the partnership, Garuda Indonesia and Gallant Venture will jointly develop Bintan Island as the airline's new hub.

This includes a dedicated airport for Garuda and its subsidiaries, as well as a new centre for aircraft maintenance.

Garuda Indonesia will then promote Bintan as an international tourism destination, and help develop its connectivity both outbound and inbound.

The first phase will include the development of one runway and one terminal.

In a joint statement, both companies said Bintan Airport has enough land to develop into a multi-terminal airport with two runways.

The airport terminal will also be connected to a ferry terminal which will service Singapore and Batam.

Gallant Venture -- through its subsidiary company -- currently already operates ferry services between Bintan and Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

Gallant Venture's CEO Mr Eugene Park said in the joint statement: "Garuda Indonesia's operations and the aerospace industrial park in Bintan will boost the economy here and create substantial job opportunities as well as upgrading skill sets and standard of living for the people in the Riau Islands."

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Some domestic commercial airlines start operating from Jakarta's Halim Airport

In an effort to try and tackle Jakarta's overwhelming air traffic, several new domestic commercial flights started operating from an alternative airport in the city's east on Friday.

Jakarta's main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, is serving three times its capacity, but there are still concerns this move won't reduce delays.

Halim Airport, which used to be the country's main gateway until Soekarno-Hatta opened in 1985, belongs to the Air Force and is the base of dozens of airlines offering chartered flights.

Four airlines have agreed to fly out from Halim, including Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, AirAsia and Batik Air.

The airport will serve 80 flights per day and will be open until 9pm.

Yet, there are concerns that the move to Halim Airport won't reduce flight delays that often occur with domestic flights.

Chappy Hakim, an aviation consultant, said: "Halim has only one runway without a taxiway. The apron to park the aircraft is very narrow. Halim also has two training and test flight areas. If the Air Force carries out training at that area and is using the only runway for touch and go training, it is very dangerous for commercial flights to join."

Halim Airport remains an airport for the military and visiting state leaders, so incoming and outgoing flights can be disrupted at anytime.

The airport currently has one access road leading from Cawang intersection, one of Jakarta's busiest roads, raising concerns of heavier congestion.

The airport's management is in talks with the Jakarta administration to better manage traffic.

In order to encourage passengers to use public transport, taxis and Damri buses that link to bus terminals within the city are also available.

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Indonesia's Lion Group eyes Bombardier order

The parent company of Indonesia's Lion Air said on Wednesday it hopes to strike a deal for at least 50 Bombardier passenger jets next year, a purchase with a list price of more than $3 billion.

It would be the latest huge bet on Indonesia's booming aviation sector by Lion Group, which has in recent years struck two of the world's largest plane orders, worth $46 billion.

The company was hoping to complete the deal with Canadian manufacturer Bombardier for at least 50 new medium-range CS300 aircraft early next year, said Leithen Francis, head of public relations at Lion Group.

"We are talking to Bombardier, we are considering the CS300, we do hope that negotiations do progress to where we can come to a decision by the first quarter," he told AFP.

"We would expect the deliveries of the aircraft to start in 2016."

He said the company was still deciding whether the planes would be allocated to its budget carrier Lion Air or its full-service airline Batik Air.

He would not put any potential price on the deal, but Dow Jones Newswires said each plane had a list price of $72 million.

That would make a deal for 50 of the planes worth $3.6 billion, although customers making big orders typically receive large discounts.

The new CS300, which is scheduled to start deliveries at the end of 2014, and its smaller sibling the CS100, is Bombardier's attempt to compete with smaller planes produced by Airbus and Boeing.

Lion Air was a little-known carrier until the two huge orders of recent years -- a $23.8 billion deal with European aerospace giant Airbus in March this year, and a $22.4 billion deal with Boeing in 2011.

However, experts have expressed fears that Lion Air's rapid expansion could compromise safety and there may not be enough trained pilots to keep up with growing demand.

Such concerns were only heightened in April when a Lion Air plane carrying 108 people went into the sea and split in two as it came in to land on the resort island of Bali.

Dozens of people were injured in the accident but there were no fatalities.

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Indonesian flying academies struggle to make up for pilot shortfall

It takes at least 18 months of training at a private flying academy before a trainee is issued a commercial pilot license, and that will make him employable by commercial airlines. Another six months of training would finally see the pilot fly a passenger aircraft.

In less than a year, 18-year-old trainee pilot Rizky Jasica could be flying a passenger airliner. "After graduation, I will apply to join a reputable Indonesian airline," she said.

However, Rizky would not have to wait until she graduates to get a job. Faced with a shortage of pilots, domestic airlines have resorted to hiring trainees while they are still in the academy.

Indonesia needs up to 800 new pilots annually as the country's aviation industry is growing at an unprecedented pace.

Captain Hassan Unang, deputy GM of the Bandung Pilot Academy, said: "Indonesian pilot schools can produce a maximum of 250 pilots a year. Normally, it is only 200."

There are about a dozen reputable private flying schools in Indonesia besides the government-run academy -- Bandung Pilot Academy, in West Java, is the latest.

Besides investing in the latest technology, the academy has to compete to get the best instructors who are highly sought after.

Endik Triwidarto, a Sukhoi-jet fighter instructor, was enticed to leave after more than 20 years in the Indonesian Air Force.

He said: "The difference is only in the uniform. The attitude, knowledge and skills remain the same. Maybe civilian flights are less complicated compared to military exercises. Not many manoeuvres compared to the military, but the basics are the same."

While waiting for these trainee pilots to graduate, local airlines have resorted to hiring foreigners to fly domestic routes. However, observers warn of the potential dangers.

Bambang Adisurya, director of the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations, said: "They might look for cheap pilots from countries whose economy has collapsed; their airlines grounded and pilots unemployed. They are asked to fly in Indonesia. This is dangerous because they have no flying time in Indonesia. They've never seen Indonesia. That's how there have been instances of wrong landings."

There are an estimated 600 foreign pilots employed in Indonesia and experts have called for a proper endorsement system.

Chappy Hakim, a former air marshal with the Indonesian Air Force, said: "Standardisation system, endorsement licence -- that needs its own mechanism. On the other hand, businesses want everything fast. That's probably why there are sub-standard pilots."

There is also the added problem of Indonesian pilots who leave to work overseas -- most are lured by better salaries.

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Indonesia must be the best place to be now for wide-eyed aviator wannabes. Even before you attain the coveted pilot license you're already being poached by hungry airlines in the country. Just how safe is aviation in Indonesia when there is a lack of experienced pilots in the field?

Indonesia needs to do more to improve aviation safety, say experts

In the history of Indonesia's aviation industry, Jakarta has never developed its own capability to fully investigate air accidents on its territory. However, that changed three years ago with a modest laboratory.

Indonesia took a major step in air accident investigation by setting up its own flight recorder laboratory. It now has the capabilities to retrieve, read and analyse flight data from what is commonly known as the "black box".

The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) sent a handful of technicians overseas for training. Now, it has the expertise to retrieve flight data from all types of aircraft operating in Indonesia.

Andreas RH, a flight recorder technician, said: "We can now handle data from all types of aircraft operating in Indonesia. There's no need to send information overseas like before."

Fortunately though, Andreas has fewer black boxes to analyse this year, compared to last year.

In 2011, there were 32 air accidents. In 2012, that figure fell to 27.

It is a significant improvement, especially since the number of flights jumped last year. The rate of aviation accidents now stands at 1.43 per 100,000 flight hours.

Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee, said: "For example, in 2007, our total flight time nationally was around 500,000 hours. Now it is more than 1.8 million hours. So if we compare the rate of accidents, it has dropped dramatically."

Still, Mr Tatang points out that the number of accidents remains at an average of 23 annually. He attributes this to a combination of factors.

He said: "It's a combination of new airports, new aircraft and new pilots flying the routes. These need attention."

Chappy Hakim, a former air marshall who chaired the special task force in 2007 on Indonesia's aviation safety, said business interests are compromising safety standards.

Mr Chappy said: "There are runways with restrictions. There are numerous reasons why a Boeing 737 cannot be fully-loaded or carry full capacity. It means there are restrictions. You can operate but with restrictions. But who are monitoring the restrictions?"

Indonesia has made tangible progress in the last five years to improve the standards of its aviation industry. That has led the European Union to lift its ban on a number of Indonesian airlines, including the national carrier Garuda.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done before Indonesia can reach international standards of safety.

Mr Chappy added: "We have progressed in many aspects but we have not yet improved on all the findings that ICAO reported in 2007. Up until this year, I don't think we will be able to move up from category two to category one."

Indonesia will need to hurry to get its aviation sector ready to meet the challenges of 2015 -- that is when the ASEAN open skies agreement will be implemented, which will see even more flights in and out of the country.

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Open skies agreement in 2015, will Indonesia be ready for it? This is a tough call to make.

Indonesia to invest US$250m in air traffic management system

Indonesia's air space is getting busier. In 2012, there were more than 1.5 million flights in and out of the archipelago -- more than double the previous year.

It is a result of an unprecedented boom in air travel. The country saw double-digit growth in passenger volume over the last five years, but its aviation infrastructure has barely kept up.

The radar system, for example, has failed on several occasions at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport. Built more than 25 years ago, it was not designed to track 1,200 aircraft movements on a daily basis.

Captain Bambang Adisurya, a director at the International Federation of Airline Pilots Association, said: "This has been discussed many times at international forums. They've said the same thing.

"For example, their aircraft were put on hold upon entering Soekarno-Hatta airport. They've also lamented during our conversations that flying into Indonesia is always crowded."

Captain Bambang, who is also a pilot with Garuda Indonesia, felt that delays are inevitable -- a result of overcapacity at major airports.

Indonesia's are traffic controller has plans to ease the situation. It is investing US$250 million over the next three years for an air traffic flow management system.

It will help air traffic controllers compute, with precision, all aircraft movements in and out of Indonesia -- thus cutting down delays.

Amran, director of air traffic management at AirNav Indonesia, said: "In 2016, the time we implement initially the air traffic flow management, we aimed for a 15 minutes cut in delays for about 30 per cent of the total aircrafts. We expect that there will be 3,000 movements in that year. In 2017 for instance, our target is for aircraft to only face a two or three minute delay."

Indonesia used to have three air traffic control operators, each with its own system of traffic management. A series of air disasters five years ago led the International Civil Aviation Organisation to recommend that Indonesia use just one operator.

AirNav is now the only one managing Indonesia's air space. It is responsible for air traffic control in more than 150 airports across the country. That includes dozens of military air bases which are open for commercial use.

Captain Bambang added: "Jogjakarta airport is an example where it is also used by military planes for training. Its runaway and apron are quite narrow. When we fly into the airport, we've been regularly told to hold for up to 20 minutes because the air traffic is heavy due to military training."

Like several air bases in Indonesia, the one in Bandung, West Java, has been turned into an international airport. It now serves about 30 schedule flights a day -- in addition to military use and a private flying school.

The Indonesian government is rushing to upgrade existing airports and build new ones to accommodate over 70 million air passengers, a number that is still growing. This includes replacing out-of-date systems that could potentially cause accidents.

However, it require time and huge investments. So until that happens, travellers getting in and out of Indonesia can expect delays of at least 30 minutes, especially at major airports such as Jakarta.

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About time they invest some money into the traffic system with the congestion and growth rate they're experiencing. However, how much of this money will really go into the improvement of the system awaits to be seen, if you know what I'm talking about. 

Cracks in oil feed pipe blamed for 2010 Qantas engine blast

Cracks in an oil feed pipe caused an engine to explode on a Qantas A380 over the Indonesian island of Batam in November 2010, Australia's transport safety watchdog said on Thursday in its final report on the incident.

The airline grounded its entire Airbus A380 fleet after one of the Sydney-bound double-decker super-jumbos was forced to make a dramatic return to Singapore with smoke trailing from its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine and damage to its wing.

The mid-air blast sent debris raining down over Batam island in Indonesia, before pilots guided the plane carrying 469 passengers back to Changi Airport.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its third and final report into the accident Thursday, which found that oil feed pipes in the A380's No. 2 engine did not conform to design specifications.

"The ATSB found that the engine failure was the result of a fatigue crack in an oil feed pipe," it said, calling the investigation one of the most complex it had ever undertaken.

"The crack allowed the release of oil that resulted in an internal oil fire. The oil fire led to one of the engine's turbine discs separating from the drive shaft.

"The disc then over-accelerated and broke apart, bursting through the engine casing and releasing other high energy debris."

The ATSB also found that the oil pipe, together with a number of similar pipes in other engines, had been made with a thin wall section and did not comply with design specifications.

"The thin wall substantially increased the likelihood of fatigue cracking," it said.

Since the incident, Rolls-Royce, aviation regulators, and operators of Trent 900-powered A380s have taken a range of steps to ensure that engines with incorrectly manufactured oil feed stub pipes were removed from service or fixed so aircraft could operate safely.

Rolls-Royce also introduced software that would automatically shut down a Trent 900 engine before its turbine disc over-speeds to prevent a similar occurrence, while improving their quality management systems.

The ATSB report absolved the plane's crew of any error, saying they completed the required actions for the multitude of system failures and safely landed.

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The root of the problem finally fished out after almost three years. It is heartening to know that a similar incident will not occur again now that a new software has been installed to arrest the problem. Salute to the pilots onboard that plane to bring it back to ground safely when they were so near to total disaster.

Haze update: SilkAir flight turned back from Pekanbaru due to poor visibility

A SilkAir flight had to return to Singapore on Monday morning, due to the worsening haze condition in Pekanbaru.

The SilkAir flight, MI 252, had arrived at Syarif Kasim II airport in the provincial capital of Riau province at about 8am.

Airport duty manager, Mr Baiquni, told The Straits Times that the flight was unable to land due to low visibility at the airport.

"The haze was thick and the pilot had to circle around the airport to find a way to land the plane.

"His first attempt to land from the west failed. He tried again to land from the north, but again, he couldn't do so. The pilot then decided to return to Singapore," he said.

Mr Baiquni added: "Visibility was only 300 metres this morning. Planes need a visibility level of at least 2,000 metres to touch down or take off."

A total of 11 flights were affected between 8am and 11am today. An AirAsia flight flying in from Bandung had to be diverted to Kuala Lumpur, while a Lion Air flight from Jakarta was diverted to Medan. The rest of the eight flights were delayed either at Syarif Kasim II airport or from their place of origin.

Normal operations resumed at the airport after 11am, when the sky cleared up.

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Haze wrecking havoc in the region, with visuals severely affected and flights are embroiled into the matter. The forests in Sumatra are still burning and the haze situation is not showing any signs of let up. With the wind direction now blowing towards Malaysia, it will affect bigger airports like KLIA. Changi Airport handled the situation pretty well, let's hope the haze will clear up soon. Pray for rain in Sumatra.

Indonesia passenger plane crash-lands, two injured

An Indonesian passenger plane carrying 52 people crash-landed at an eastern airport, injuring two, officials said, the latest accident to hit the country's fast-growing aviation sector.

The MA-60 aircraft, operated by state-owned Merpati Nusantara airlines, was coming in to land at an airport in East Nusa Tenggara province when the accident happened, said transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan.

Pictures showed the Chinese-made turbo-prop plane lying on its belly on the runway with its engines jammed facedown into the tarmac and its wings bent forward.

An increasing number of planes are taking to Indonesia's skies to feed growing demand from a booming middle class, but the vast archipelago has one of Asia's worst aviation safety records.

In April a Lion Air passenger jet carrying 108 people missed the runway as it came into land on the resort island of Bali, crashing into the sea and splitting in two. Dozens of people were injured but no one died.

Monday's accident happened as the plane, which was on a domestic flight from the central island of Flores, came into land at El Tari airport in Kupang city at 9:40 am (0140 GMT), Ervan said.

There were 52 people on board, 46 passengers and six crew, said Merpati spokesman Herry Saptanto.

"Two passengers sustained minor injuries from pieces of glass but they have left hospital and are now fine," he told AFP.

"The plane is badly damaged, I don't think it can be used anymore."

In May 2011 an MA-60 operated by Merpati crashed in West Papua province, killing 25 people.

Following that accident, authorities banned the plane -- manufactured by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation -- from landing at three airports with difficult approaches.

However, Saptanto said Monday the ban had been lifted six months earlier. El Tari was not one of the airports affected by the ban.

Merpati has been banned from flying in European Union airspace since 2007.

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Another crash in Indonesia and who can blame the EU for banning these Indonesian airlines from their airspace? Their safety record is in tatters. It is very fortunate that no casualties were reported.