September 8, 2005

Indonesian authorities will carry out random checks on all domestic airliners to ensure planes are being properly maintained in the wake of this week's crash that killed 149 people, officials said on Thursday.

Ministry of Transport officials made the comments at a special parliamentary hearing, where legislators questioned whether carriers were paying enough attention to safety in light of sky-high fuel costs and a ticketing price war.

A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed into a crowded area of the Sumatran city of Medan on Monday just after take-off, killing 102 people on board and 47 others on the ground. Fifteen passengers in the tail section survived.

"We will have ramp checks on many items from ownership to flight readiness, including engine conditions," Mohammad Iksan Tatang, the ministry's director-general for air transport told reporters after the hearing.

"We are going to audit airlines' financial reports and if they touch up maintenance issues, we will cancel their routes."

A preliminary probe into the crash has found a fuel problem with one of the plane's engines, the head of the Indonesian National Transport Safety Committee said on Wednesday.

Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa insisted safety regulations were good, but said corrupt officials might look the other way during routine inspections.

"It's how to implement these regulations without any behind-the-scenes play, without officials who can be bribed. These are what can endanger safety," Radjasa told El Shinta radio after the hearing, which he also attended.

Numerous budget carriers have sprung up in the past five years in Indonesia, offering heavily discounted fares to attract customers. Mandala is one of Indonesia's oldest private carriers and does not consider itself to be a discount airline.

Putra Jaya, a member of parliament's transportation commission, expressed concern about the low cost of tickets for budget carriers, especially at a time of high oil prices.

"If fuel prices go up, the plane ticket prices should also go up. If they do not, some corners must be cut. Of course, it won't be food but it will be service and maintenance costs," Jaya said.

Australian analyst Gerard Frawley said the emergence of budget airlines often led to speculation safety standards would slip, but added he had seen no evidence to support such theories.

"All airlines are subject to the same regulatory system to keep them safe," said Frawley, managing editor of industry monthly Australian Aviation.

"Indonesia has had more than its fair share of crashes over the past decade, considering that its aviation industry is not unusually large, although we have to be careful drawing conclusions because a country can easily have a run of bad luck."

(Reuters)