VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Illustration - Aircraft parked at the El Tari Airport in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. ANTARA/Kornelis Kaha/sh

Air passenger capacity will be stepped up gradually to 100 percent by implementing stringent health protocols at airports and in aircraft cabins, according to the Transportation Ministry.

Director-General of Air Transportation Novie Riyanto noted in a statement here on Thursday that the policy to increase air passenger capacity is in accordance with the regulation of international aviation authority, such as the ICAO, EASA, CASA, and CAA.

"We ensure that all requirements align with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that several other countries also apply," Riyanto remarked.

The Director-General of Air Transportation’s Circular Letter No. 13/2020 clearly administers the application of standard operational procedures, both at airports and aircraft cabins, he stated.

The ministry has issued Ministerial Regulation No. PM 41/2020 and circular letter of the Director-General of Air Transportation No. 13/2020 on air transportation operation during the transition period toward the new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Riyanto made assurance of the air filtration and circulation system, with the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) technology, in aircraft cabins would curtail the spread of COVID-19.

"The air filtration and circulation system in cabins was designed to minimize bacterial and viral transmission. However, we will continue to learn and update the requirements for the gradual increase in passenger capacity in accordance with the international regulation," he stated.

Over 85 percent of passenger aircraft in Indonesia employ this technology.

However, Riyanto noted that the government was currently focusing on safety measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, standard procedures for passenger handling, and training of flight crew on handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"To ensure safety in the aircraft, we have prepared a regulation on (preparing) an isolation room in the cabin. To handle passengers symptomatic with COVID-19, we have set aside three rows of empty seats at the back with a special mechanism," he explained. (ANTARA)