TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) deputy chairman Fadli Zon said Wednesday, July 29, 2015, that the government should soon review air sovereignty issue. The DPR will support the government 100 percent.
“The government must take an initiative in this issue,” Fadli Zon told Tempo on Wednesday during the launch of a book by former Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal (ret.) Chappy Hakim in Jakarta.
According to Fadli Zon, if needed, the regulation on this sovereignty must be changed. “If there is such regulation, it has to be changed. If there isn’t, there must be one.”
Chappy Hakim launched his latest book titled “Tanah Air & Udaraku Indonesia” - My Homeland and Air, Indonesia - that tells about his concern for Indonesia’s air resilience and sovereignty.
Chappy said that he is fighting for “air” dimension to Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution. The Constitution only mentions land and water as well as natural wealth contained therein.
Chappy continued that Indonesia has many weaknesses in airspace management. For example, since 1946, Indonesia’s airspace in Malacca Strait has been under foreign party’s control. “This causes all flights, such as from Natuna to Tanjung Pinang to Pekanbaru, can only go through after gaining permit from Singapore’s aviation authority,” he said.
However, Fadli Zon denied Chappy’s statement that in several flight routes, Indonesia must gain permit from Singapore’s aviation authority because since 1944, Indonesia has implemented the Chicago Convention that says every country is in control of the airspace in their territory. “Indonesia has adopted the regulation in the Aviation Law,” he said.
DIAH HARNI SAPUTRI
