Minister Probes Official Involved in Fixing AirAsia Flight Permit  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan instructed its Inspectorate General to investigate officials who allegedly “fixed” the flight route for Air Asia flight QZ8501. Transportation Ministry’s special staff for public information division Hadi Mustofa Djuraid said the instruction has been put into effect starting from today, January 5, 2015.

Hadi said Air Asia flight QZ8501 did not secure flight approval from the Transportation Ministry, as the regulator. 

“We are now investigating where the approval for AirAsia came from and how it was issued,” Hadi said. 

Hadi also shrugged off claims that the flight approval came from Transportation Ministry’s Directorate General.

“It’s impossible. The approval [for Air Asia] was for four days [Sunday was not included in the schedule]” he explained, adding that there was possible involvement of officials in the approval process. 

Earlier, the Transportation Ministry revealed the Surabaya-Singapore route of AirAsia flight QZ8501 was inconsistent with the government’s approval. The Ministry’s acting air transportation director general Djoko Murdiatmodjo said his institution issued a permit for the Surabaya-Singapore route in the winter season of 2014/2015 for Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. 

However, in its actual implementation, according to Joko, the flights were scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. 

ALI HIDAYAT