Lion Air Crash, Kalla: We Cannot Just Ground an Aircraft

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice president Jusuf Kalla said that, for now, there is no need to ground Lion Air`s Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft. The government, he said, must wait for the review by the National Committee for Transportation Accidents (KNKT) before taking any action.

"We cannot just stop an airline's operation. We cannot ground all [similar aircraft] because one had an accident," Kalla said at his office in Jakarta, Tuesday, October 30. 

The vice president said that flight bans are usually imposed on military aircraft. For commercial flights, the government must consider passengers' need. 

"If we ground a commercial airline, what will happen to the passengers?" he said. 

Read: Lion Air Crash, Govt to Examine All Boeing 737-8 MAX Aircraft

Nevertheless, Kalla urged companies and regulators to learn from the Lion Air crash. Both parties, he said, must be stricter in applying rules and actively check the condition of each aircraft before take-off. 

Lion Air's plane with flight number JT-610 crashed in the waters of Tanjung Karawang, West Java, Monday morning, October 29. It just took off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and was heading towards Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang. The aircraft was carrying 181 passengers and seven crew members.

The airplane took off at 06:20 and 12 minutes later air traffic controller lost contact with it. Just minutes before that, the pilot had requested permission to return to base due to flight control issues.

Danang Mandala Prihantoro, corporate communications strategic officer at Lion Air, said that the ill-fated Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft was in good condition and good to fly. The airline had been operating the plane for just three months or so since August 15 this year.

Vindry Florentin