TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ahead of the year-end holidays of Christmas and the 2023 New Year, the Ministry of Transportation through the Directorate General of Air Transportation will ensure the safety aspects of air transportation have been fulfilled. The ministry has carried out ramp check activities.

Acting Director General of Aviation Transportation, Maria Kristi Endah Murni, said that ramp check is an important process to ensure the safety of air transportation. "Considering the upcoming [passengers] flow during Christmas and New Year, the frequency of flights will increase more than usual," she said in a written statement on Friday, December 9, 2022.

Based on existing data, the number of air transport passengers during the Christmas and New Year holidays is predicted to reach 3.62 million or 52.7 percent more than last year. The increase in the number of air passengers is due to the absence of restrictions on mobility during the upcoming Christmas and New Year.

"Aircraft inspections are carried out to confirm compliance with standards and regulations set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which are carried out on a scheduled basis by a team of inspectors from the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation (DKPPU)," he said.

Kristi said the Directorate General of Aviation Transportation conducts inspections of aircraft that are currently registered and bagged permits to operate or Air Operator Certificates (AOC). "As of November 2022, there were about 367 serviceable aircraft on AOC 121 and 223 aircraft on AOC 135. Those aircraft are ready to serve the needs of the passengers during the upcoming holiday," she said.

AOC 121 is a certificate given to aircraft with a capacity of over 30 seats. Meanwhile, AOC 135 is a certificate given to aircraft with a capacity of under 30 seats.

Kristi said that during the Christmas and New Year holidays, her group would carry out scheduled ramp checks at 38 airports in Indonesia from December 21, 2022, to January 2, 2023.

"We will also continue to work with airport operators and airlines regarding this ramp check to ensure smooth operation and improve the fulfillment of flight safety aspects during the upcoming holiday," said Kristi.

Moh. Khory Alfarizi | Translator: Intern / Imaji Lasahido

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