11 Units of Boeing 737 Max 8 Aircraft Met Airworthiness Standard

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Directorate General of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation has conducted a special audit on eleven units of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft operated in Indonesia. According to the acting director general of Air Transportation Pramintohadi Sukarno, all aircraft had met the standard of airworthiness.

“The result of ramp inspection in the airport concludes that [the aircraft] have met the airworthiness standard,” said Pramintohadi in the Transportation Ministry building, Saturday, Nov. 3. The special audit was held in four airports, namely Soekarno Hatta, Cengkareng; Ngurah Rai, Bali; Kualanamu, Medan; and Samratulangi, Manado.

The government established a special audit for all aircraft following the downed Boeing 737 Max 8 with a register number PK-LQP in the waters of Karawang on Monday, Oct. 29. The plane went off the radar just 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang.

The special audit was also valid for 27 aircraft from various airlines, viz. Lion Air, Garuda Indonesia, Air Asia, and Wings Air. “The result shows that those aircraft have met the airworthiness standard,” Praminto added.

Earlier, the government asserted it would not take a side to any party that later be found neglected on the crash of budget airline Lion Air JT 610. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi on Friday, Nov. 2, admitted the indication of the cause of the crash focused on the airline.

ANDI IBNU