RI to seize control over its airspace

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In a bid to take back full control of the country's airspace, the government plans to gradually take charge of the management of regional flight information, something that is currently partly undertaken by neighboring countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday that the country was capable of fulfilling the minimum requirements needed to handle air traffic across the country.

"From the diplomatic side it is necessary to take charge of these flight information regions," the minister said during a press conference.

"We will do it gradually. If necessary, we will establish a joint venture to manage air traffic with foreign parties as the technology is no longer as difficult as it was before," he added.

Indonesia signed agreements with Malaysia and Singapore in 1994 under which the two neighbors agreed to assist the country in providing flight information and ensuring the safety of international air navigation within its airspace.

The agreements appointed Singapore to handle the information for commercial flights from Aceh to Palembang, and Malaysia to cover the airspace over Borneo island.

The agreements were signed between the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation and its counterparts in the two neighboring countries.

The main reasons for the agreements were the country's inability to oversee the entire airspace of the archipelagic state due to its poor technological capabilities.

Following the loss of the Sipadan-Ligitan islets to Malaysia late last year, Indonesia decided to increase its capabilities in monitoring the country's borders.

"Currently, several ministries and government institutions are discussing the issue so that we can take full control of our airspace," Hassan remarked.

Another agreement that will be reviewed by Jakarta is a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore allowing the neighboring country to use Indonesian airspace over the Straits of Malacca for military training.

The agreement was signed during former president Soeharto's time in the 1980s between the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and its Singaporean counterpart.

"We need to reconsider the MoU so that we retain full control over our land, waters and airspace," the minister remarked.

Hassan assured the public that currently Indonesia had no other territorial disputes with neighboring countries as most border issues had been settled.