EU: No political elements in flight ban on RI's airlines to Europe

Jakarta (ANTARA News) -

Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia Jean Breteche said there was no political implication in the ban on 51 Indonesian airlines from flying to Europe.

"The flight ban is fully based on flight safety, which is no political consideration behind the ban," Jean Breteche said here on Friday.
According to him, there was however some views on the ban, starting those based on political considerations to business competition among international flight operators.

"The European Commission has monitored the Indonesia`s flight safety records since early this year during which a great number of air accidents happened in this world`s largest archipelagic country," she said.

She further said that a discussion was then held by members of the European Union Flight Safety Committee, and some flight experts from Europe.

In the meantime, Benny Soetrisno of the Indonesian Exporters Association believed that the ban on Indonesian airlines` flights to the European Union (EU) will have no impact on the country`s airbone-exports to the region as exporters have been using foreign airlines for their exports.

Benny said many exporters had used foreign airlines since the national flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia ceased its scheduled flights to European destinations a few years ago.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Furniture Producers Association (Asmindo) Ambar Tjahjono feared that the ban would reduce the number of Europeans going to Indonesia to buy their poducts, and this situation may eventually reduce furniture exports to Europe.

"The impact may be felt in the next few months," he said.
He said furniture buyers used to visiting the factories to see for themselves the poducts they would buy.

The ban will become official when the European Commission endorses its experts` recommendation on July 6 by adding the Indonesian airlines to EU`s list of unsafe airline companies.

The EU is Indonesia`s fourth biggest market for its exports after Japan, the United States and Singapore. Last year, Indonesia`s exports to the region reached US$1.07 billion.

Source: www.antara.co.id/en