JAKARTA. After eight years of waiting, Indonesian airlines can now fly to the US as the nation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has upgraded the safety status of Indonesian airlines to category 1, from the previous level of category 2.

Transportation Ministry director general for air transportation Suprasetyo said he had received an official statement from US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jakarta Brian McFeeters on the matter.

"We should be thankful for our hard work and the US’s FAA technical support, to help us accomplish this […] I recommend that Indonesian airlines prepare themselves to serve US flight routes," he said in a press conference as quoted by kontan.co.id in Jakarta, on Monday.

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Suprasetyo further said the FAA audit began in early 2015 and assessed three main aspects of the country’s air transport industry: regulations, operation and airworthiness. Indonesian airlines’ human resources are also now in accordance with international aviation standards, he added.

FAA downgraded Indonesia’s aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2007. In the same year, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audits spotted 121 loopholes in the Indonesian air safety oversight system, which led in part to the FAA as well as the EU downgrading the safety status and banned Indonesian airlines from flying to the US and Europe, respectively.

The ministry’s director of aircraft operation and airworthiness Mohammad Alwi said the safety status improvement into category 1 would bring trustworthiness to Indonesian airlines and aircraft industries. "Including the manufacturing side, the aircraft leasing business, the insurance and the economy," he said, highlighting that the regulator and the operator must be consistent in maintaining the safety standard to uphold the achievement.