Jakarta - The partial lifting of an EU ban on Indonesian airlines, imposed in 2007 following a series of deadly aviation accidents, is expected to herald better ties between the European Union (EU) and Indonesia, officials said Wednesday. The EU Tuesday passed legislation removing four Indonesian airlines - flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, Mandala Airlines, Airfast and Primeair, from its list of banned carriers, EU Ambassador to Indonesia Julian Wilson said.
Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Sjafii Djamal said the move reflected the EU's confidence in the country's aviation authorities.
"This serves as a foundation for stronger relations between the European Union and Indonesia in the future," Jusman told a joint news conference with the EU mission in Jakarta.
Wilson said the decision meant that Europeans were no longer advised against using the four airlines when travelling within Indonesia and insurance would be available for their travel.
"The European Union very much hopes to see a further enrichment of what is already a very strong person-to-person contact we have," Wilson said.
The Indonesian government had in the past complained that the ban was unfair because it had not been consulted beforehand.
Garuda Indonesia president Emirsyah Satar said the national carrier planned to start flying to Europe early next year by reviving its Jakarta-Amsterdam route.
"We are preparing everything," he told reporters.
The EU imposed a blanket ban on all 51 Indonesian airlines in 2007 after a spate of deadly air accidents that raised concerns about the country's safety standards.
In January 2007, an Adam Air plane plunged into the sea off Sulawesi island, killing all 102 people on board.
In March that year, an Garuda plane overshot the runway in Yogyakarta and burst into flames, killing 21 people.
Indonesia has seen the emergence of new airlines, including low-cost ones, after the industry was liberalized in the late 1990s.
