Transportation Minister Hatta Radjasa is quoted in today’s The Jakarta Post as saying : “Our focus NOW is on passenger safety.
He reportedly said this to Vice President Jusuf Kalla when explaining what his ministry’s doing about the string of accidents on land, sea and air.
Our focus NOW? And what was the Ministry’s focus before NOW? The profits of transport operators?
In its usual overkill the Government is now talking (just talking, never action) about grounding all planesolder than 10 years old. Unspun understands that it is not so much the age of the plane but the maintenance and spare parts that ensures the airworthiness of planes. Surely the government can, as a first step, audit the maintenance records of all the airlines and anction the offenders? Or do they have their focus elsewhere?
Well, 2 things:
1. You’re right Upspun on your second point: Its not so much the age as it is the maintenance of the aircraft. Many aircrafts operated by US air companies are over 20 years old. Planes are built to last upto 40 years–given proper maintenance.
2. Speaking of “unspunning” news, just because Hatta said that the focus NOW will be on safety, does not imply anything about ‘before NOW’. Such extrapolation, if I may suggest, is overkill. Let’s not pick on split hairs.
…The fact remains, however, that the government of Indonesia should take action to regulate and enforce its laws with respect to the reliability of the airline industry.
Quric:
1. Thanks for the info. The aviation authorities have confirmed what you say about maintenance, not so much as age of planes, is the crucial factor in today’s papers.
2. Technically you are right. But it’s public knowledge that there was actually no focus on passenger safety before. So Unspun’s focussing on the word now is, I feel, appropriate. Also, to be pedantic, the phrase is “to split hairs” with “split” being the verb rather than “to pick at split hairs”.