TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia`s Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has closed two flight schools that had failed to graduate competent pilots. He revealed, another one will be shut down next month. "We had given them a warning for the past one year," Sumadi stated at a discussion on ab initio pilots on Wednesday.
The minister pointed out that some 600 ab initio pilots could not be absorbed due to some factors, including their lack of competitiveness to get jobs in some airlines. Ab initio pilots are fresh graduates from pilot schools and have obtained a license to fly commercial aircraft but lack experience.
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Sumadi has called on ab initio pilots to improve their competency and to conduct self-correction. "For airlines, the competition is very tight, both in terms of capability and personality. Do self-correction, regardless of whether you have already done the best," he stated.
The minister has also warned 18 other pilot schools in the country to meet the standard of curriculum as required by the law. Schools that failed to meet the standard would have to merge with other pilot academies.
"Pilot schools should compete to become better, if they do not want to merge, in order to improve the level of education offered and to produce better graduates," he added.
Meanwhile, Muzaffar Ismail, the ministry's director of airplane operation and airworthiness, remarked that the ministry had sent warning letters to eight pilot schools that had failed to meet the standard. "Based on our audit last year, eight schools had failed to meet the requirements. We will evaluate them further in February," Sumadi pointed out.
ANTARA
