The European Union (EU) has lifted its restriction on four Indonesian air carriers from entering its territory, Director of Air Transport of Indonesian Transport Ministry Herry Bakti quoted EU ambassador to Indonesia Julian Wilson as saying in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The four carriers included leading carrier Garuda Indonesia, Mandala Airlines, Airfast Indonesia and Prime Air, Bakti said. All of them have potential to Open Route to Europe, according to the ministry.

The airlines are parts of 51 Indonesian Air operators which had got Travel Ban by the EU to fly into its territory since July 2007due to lack of Safety Standard, following a rampant air accidents that killed more than 250 people.

When asked whether the EU has lifted its ban on four of the aircarriers, Bakti told Xinhua that “EU ambassador in Jakarta said like that, it has been revoked.”

On July 5, Bakti said that the Air Safety Commission (ASC) of the European Union (EU) comprising all 27 member states had recommended that air travel ban on four Indonesian Carriers be revoked, as the commission had been satisfied with the progress achieved by Indonesia on safety standard.

Previously, the EU has hailed Indonesia’s aviation law passed in December, as it previously blamed much on the country’s regulation for lack of safety.

But, Bakti said that there were some aspects that were still needed to be improved further. The result of the evaluation by the ASC was only a good start for the progress of the Indonesia’s aviation, he said.

The lifting of the ban would pave Garuda’s plan to open route to Amsterdam next year.

In September, the ministry would talk to the EU in Brussels about the next policy on the rest of 27 Indonesian carriers, the director said.

Plane is a favorite transport means in the sprawling archipelago country with over 230 million population, but lack of safety standard had triggered many accidents years ago.

Source: Xinhua