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After the recent air travel disasters in Indonesia, things get really tricky to evaluate the safest airlines in the country. Sooner or later you have to fly in or out of the country or will use a plane to travel between one of the 17.000 islands.
What are the latest scores?
- just today a Garuda Airlines Boeing 737-400 burst into flames when landing, killing 21 people in Yogyakarta
- a few weeks back in january an ADAM Air airplane (a 737-400 as well) simply disappeared from the radar screen on its way to Sulawesi, taking a 102 lifes with it
- end of february another ADAM Air plane crashed when landing in Surabaya, fortunately just cracking into 2 parts without any casualties.
What’s wrong with the airlines in Indonesia?
Does fierce competition lead to less safety and maintenance, as several sources report?
Just on the Bali airport alone you have the following domestic airlines to chose from, when you simply want to fly to, let’s say, Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia: ADAM Air, Batavia Air, Citilink, Mandala Air, Merpati Air, Garuda Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, Wings Air.
Prices range from as low as Rp 200.000 to Rp 800.000 one way. Is too much competition too much for maintaining proper safety standards?
Is it lack of education of airport and plane personal, or just “devil-may-care” attitude?
Too much competition, planes too old, lack of education or “Devil may care!”?
Or are the planes simply too old? Indcoup compiled an interesting overview of the average age of indonesian airplanes, which looks like this:
- Garuda Indonesia - Age 10 years
- Lion Air - Age 17.2 years
- Adam Air - Age 18.1 years
- Awair - Age 18.8 years
- Merpati - 21.8 years
- Batavia - Age 23.4 years
- Sriwijaya Air - Age 23.5 years
- Mandala Airlines - Age 23.9 years
- Bouraq Indonesia Airlines - Age 25.1 years
The old age of airplanes was one of the reasons, why a way lower age (maximum 10 years) for airplanes was mulled just a few weeks back, though no decision were made yet. Hopefully those new rules will come into place now rather sooner than later.
Measures on the way?
Just on 28th of february, Indonesia’s Vice President Yussuf Kalla took as well a high stand regarding safety measure in the transportation industry; as there’ve been too many disasters (train crashes, sinking and burning ferries, crashing planes) in just the recent few months.
Forcing the airlines to modernize their fleets would probably lead to a much needed consolidation of companies and higher safety standards in the whole indonesian airline industry.
As one aviation analyst puts it: “What Indonesia needs is 5 or 10 big airlines, not the 23 there at the moment”.
So far, Garuda as the country’s national carrier was still the safest airline in the country. Not anymore.
There is currently no domestic airline with flawless safety record in Indonesia to rely on!
Until the new measures will come into place and show some effect, there is only one advise one can give the airline traveler in Indonesia:
Avoid local airlines if you can! Use foreign airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai or Jetstar to fly in and out of the country.
When traveling in Indonesia check for and use alternative modes of transportation if possible.
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Worrying. They’ve started to get strict on quality of planes flying into Europe recently, PIA has just been banned (well, all but about 4 of their craft anyway). It does make sense.
Are there alternatives to flying between the islands? What’s the ferry system like?
I flew Transnusa/Trigana air between Lombok and Bali a few times - they had good looking ATR 42 prop planes. Once I did it with Merpati in a shaking old Boeing jet in which everything was broken, and all plastic corners chipped.
How is Transnusa/Trigana’s record?
Thanx for the tip. If life is at risk, why ignore such warnings? I might say we have far safer domestic planes here in our country than in Indonesia…
[...] What is currently the safest airline in Indonesia? [...]
[...] What is currently the safest airline in Indonesia? [...]
[...] Would you trust them enough to go the extra mile and fly with them from continent to continent, especially after the recent flight disasters in Asia for instance? [...]
Indonesia’a aviation industry indeed has been hit hard recently. With crashes and hard landing simply doesnt make things any better. on the other note, local regulators has been working hard concentrating into socializationof safety culture ny introducing safety measures such as OSMS.
In regards of he safest airline, i would say Garuda Indonesia still hold that reputation follow by lion air and air asia.
[...] Norman Sukardi: Indonesia’a aviation industry indeed has been hit hard recently. With crashes and hard landing… [...]
The only person who thinks Lion or Adam are the safest in Indonesia need to have their heads tested. New aircraft does mean safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve flown in second world war aircraft a they were safe! Maintenance is the key so age is not always the key factor.
[...] Awhile ago we were discussing, if it’s a wise or safe decision to fly a Budget Carrier long-haul. However your opinion is about that subject - luckily time didn’t stop and some of the usual suspects seem to follow through with the idea. [...]
I totally agree with it. Maintenance is one of the most key factor in airlines safety compliant.
On October 2007 Indonesian aviation authorities have upgraded the safety rankings of three domestic airlines to its top category.
The complete story can be found at http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Asia/STIStory_163363.html
Mandala air (one of the airline got promoted), this year they purchase new 30 A-320 airplanes from Airbus. But before this, although it was said the average age of their airplanes was around 23 year, but I never heard there was any incidents with this airlines in the last 10 years.
So, maintenance is the key factor in aviation safety compliant.
[...] is something positive to report about Indonesian Airlines. After all we had at least 1 airlines catastrophe every few months for the last couple of years. There was even talk of closure of some of the [...]
[...] some of Indonesia’s famed airlines obviously trying their best to get their acts together - this can’t be said about the most [...]
Gruss, brigitta
Brigitta - gute Frage! Ich weiss nicht, welche Airlines diese Route ueberhaupt fliegen. Adam Air ist ja mittlerweile nicht mehr da. Gut so! Ich mag Lion Air sehr gern, neue Flugzeuge und auch sonst so scheinen die kapiert zu haben, wo es langgeht.
Gute Reise!
Hey Chris. Danke für die Rückmeldung. Wie ich sehe haben einige der Reiseunternehmer die Trigana Airlines im Programm. Mal sehen wen sie auslesen werden. Fliegen werde ich ja so oder so. Ich werde vermutlich so im Reisefieber sein (mein erster Indonesien-Aufenthalt) und mich so auf den Regenwald und seine Bewohner freuen, dass ich keine Zeit für Flugangst haben werde (hoffe ich auf jeden Fall
Gruss, Brigitta
How about Batavia Air? I am intending to fly with this airline this July when I travel to central Java (from Jakarta to Yogyakarta) Can I trust Batavia Air? I can’t find many news about this airline. Its website looks very simple and I even can’t find anything about it on the website to Aviation Safety Network. What is its rating? Rating 1, 2, or 3? I really don’t know if I should just forget about flying in Indonesia. Thanks for any advice~
Even indian airlines subsidery alliance air has b737 aircraft aged more than 23yrs but accept one or two incidents their record is good i m management student and planning an airlines.let’s see if anybody is interested in investing plz contact sagar_2007koli@yahoo.co.in
All alliance air aircraft’s(atr-42 b737) are converted into air india regional and air indian cargo. All aviation lover plz take look on HAL(Hindustan aeronautics limited) dhruv helicopter it is advanced light multirole helicopter operating in all 3 wings of india IAF,Indian navy,indian army and indian cost guard and indian oil giant ongc .it is great aircraft