REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Three Indonesian airlines - Citilink Indonesia, Lion Air and Batik Air - have received permission to fly to Europe.

The airlines will no longer be prevented from flying to Europe, having received permission by the European Commission, the director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation of the Ministry of Transportation, Mohammad Alwi, confirmed here on Thursday.

"On May 31, I led a meeting involving 56 countries, and representatives from 28 of them attended, and the result was good. We are to be released from the ban," he said.

Alwi added that he was asked only two questions during the meeting regarding domestic flight safety and security.

"It means we have passed and must meet the international standards that have been set," he said.

On a separate occasion, the president director of Citilink Indonesia, Albert Burhan, said he has praised the lifting of the ban to fly to Europe.

He added, however, that Citilink would not yet fly to Europe due to operational constraints, including the size of the aircraft and tariffs for the flight, since the airlines has, in the past, only concentrated on low cost flights.

"Our planes are not adequate to fly to Europe because they are not wide bodies. We only operate narrow body aircraft," he said.

He admitted that the lifting of the ban would benefit the company's business, because it would help ease cooperation.

"So we are recognized internationally, and those oil and gas companies that have been hesitant to cooperate will now have confidence in the company," he said.

President director of Lion Air Group, Edward Sirait, said the lifting of the ban was a recognition of the professionalism of the national airlines.

"Our flight safety has been recognized as meeting international standards," he said.

Edward promised that Lion Air and Batik Air management would continue improving the quality of their service, especially flight safety and security.

"The recognition by the EU Commission will boost the spirit of all employees to perform better," he said.

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