Regulator audits Merpati, considers grounding MA60

JAKARTA. The Transportation Ministry is currently conducting a special audit on PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Merpati) after its Chinese-made Xian MA60 twin turboprop aircraft landing incident in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Monday.

Ministry spokesman Bambang S. Ervan said the audit did not only cover the safety and airworthiness of the ill-fated plane but also the management, maintenance system and human resources development in the state-run aviation company.

“The [ministry’s] directorate general of civil aviation is auditing Merpati in order to get to the cause of the accident before deciding what corrective actions we should take with the airline,” Bambang told The Jakarta Post.

He said one of the actions they might take was grounding all MA60 aircraft operated by Merpati in order to prevent similar accidents.

“Airlines are all about the safety business. We will never tolerate any plane that does not comply with airworthiness principles. Thus, we need a comprehensive audit,” he added.

The plane was involved in two separate accidents in Indonesia and Myanmar on Monday. Another Xian MA60 operated by Myanma Airlines swerved off the runway in Kawthaung. (Nurfika Osman, The Jakarta Post)