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Citilink welcomes lifting of EU ban
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An Airbus A320 belonging to low-cost carrier Citilink takes off from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on June 1. (Antara/Nyoman Budhiana)
B
udget carrier Citilink has welcomed the decision by the European Commission to lift the ban on three Indonesian airlines from flying in European airspace.
The removal of the ban, imposed in 2007, proved that Citilink, the low-cost carrier arm of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, met with international aviation standards, president and chief executive officer Albert Burhan said on Saturday.
It was also an important acknowledgement not only for Citilink but for the national aviation industry.
"The official acknowledgment means a lot because it can increase international public trust in the national aviation industry," he said as quoted by kompas.com.
The European Commission, the regulatory body of the EU, decided to remove the ban on three Indonesian carriers, Citilink, Lion Air and Batik Air, on Thursday after it had updated its Air-Safety List of airlines banned from operating within the EU.
Citilink operational director Hadinoto Soedigno explained that the EU set very high standards of flight safety. Citilink passed the entire audit process, which took almost five months.
"Throughout the audit process, all aspects were scrutinized from operational performance, safety, quality and airworthiness to passengers service management," he said adding that the European Commission audit team met with varied levels of Citilink officials from field operatives up to directors. (rin)
