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Govt orders Lion Air to suspend technical director, staff member
The Transportation Ministry has ordered the suspension of the technical director and a staff member of Lion Air after the JT610 crash.
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The Lion Air symbol on an aircraft wing tip (Shutterstock.com/Aumphotography )
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ransportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Wednesday that the government had ordered a temporary suspension of Lion Air’s technical director Muhammad Asif as the ministry conducts its own investigation into the flight JT610 crash.
Budi added that the temporary suspension would support the investigation and make it more transparent without interference from too many parties.
“We have had a meeting involving the director general of air transportation, as well as Soekarno-Hatta airport authority. From our observation and based on the [technical director’s] job description, we conclude that the airworthiness of an aircraft is the technical director’s responsibility,” he said.
Aside from the airline executive’s suspension, the government also called for the temporary suspension of a technical staff member who had approved the takeoff of the aircraft used on flight JT610 from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkalpinang, Bangka-Belitung Islands, on Monday.
Budi said the ministry through its Directorate of Aircraft Airworthiness and Operation was conducting an evaluation and special audit of Lion Air regarding the JT610 accident. The results of the ministry inspection would be reported to the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), which is currently also conducting an investigation.
The KNKT findings will later be used by the Transportation Ministry as the basis of whether or not to impose sanctions on the airline.
"If it is proven that there was negligence by the airline, we will impose strong sanctions in accordance with the law." said the minister, adding that the sanctions could implicate airline employees, directors, and the entire company.
