TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government will continue to improve the quality of national aviation infrastructure despite its failure in the bid for membership at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council.

“Despite the failed bid, Indonesia will continue to improve the capacity and quality of civil aviation and will continue doing business in global aviation,” said the Transportation Ministry’s Director General of Air Transport Suprasetyo in a press release on Wednesday, October 5, 2016.

The statement was made in response to Indonesia’s failed bid for membership at ICAO Council Under Part III for the 2016-2019 term. Suprasetyo said that Indonesia is still committed to contributing to the establishment of aviation cooperation with developing countries.

He said that Indonesian delegates have apologized for failing to meet the country’s objective to become the ICAO council members.

Earlier, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said Indonesia was confident in ICAO Council membership bid since the standards of aviation safety and security as well as aviation environmental protection had been improved. Indonesia achieved five things in the past couple of years, including having its aviation safety rating upgraded to category 1 status by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In addition, Indonesia met 95 percent of ICAO safety standard in late 2015. Indonesia had gained support from friendly countries for the bid. Indonesia had been selected twelve times as ICAO Council Under Part III, namely in 1962, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1998.

The election was held on October 4 at ICAO headquarters in Montreal, Canada, in which Indonesia garnered 96 votes but not quite enough to secure a membership seat at the ICAO Council Under Part III.

The countries who have been elected as members of ICAO Council Under Part III are Algeria (151 votes), Cabo Verde (136 votes), Congo (136 votes), Cuba (160 votes), Ecuador (133 votes), Kenya (159 votes), Malaysia (129 votes), Panama (130 votes), South Korea (146 votes), Tanzania (150 votes), Turkey (156 votes), United Arab Emirates (156 votes), and Uruguay (133 votes).

ODELIA SINAGA