REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian airlines have been officially cleared to fly to the United States of America after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a ban that was imposed on account of safety reasons.

The Director General of Air Transport of the Ministry of Transportation, Suprasetyo said here in a press conference on Monday that the national aviation sector has met all international standards, and its safety rating has been upgraded from category 2 to 1.

"This achievement is a gift for the country on Indonesia's 71st Anniversary," Suprasetyo stated.

The FAA had conducted an audit of the national aviation sector since early 2015, assessing three aspects: regulation, operation and air-worthiness. "Our regulations met international standards, as did our operations and supervision," Suprasetyo added.

Human resources, airworthiness and air operations have been improved and upgraded to meet the international standard of civil aviation, he underlined.

Indonesian airlines were banned from flying to the US in 2007 after the FAA downgraded the national safety rating. Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety of FAA Margaret Gilligan in a statement appreciated Indonesia's hard work in improving its aviation safety to meet the FAA's standards.

"Indonesia's effort to improve its oversight system had resulted in positive things," Gilligan wrote in a letter to the ministry.

The achievement is expected to mark a new beginning in the aviation cooperation between the two countries, starting with the national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia which is interested to open routes from Jakarta to Los Angeles and New York.

Several Indonesian airlines were restricted from flying to the European Union countries this year but the ban was lifted after the airlines passed the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program.

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