Commission V DPR Will Investigate Allegations Of Mafia Buying And Selling Aviation Hours

Chairman of Commission V DPR Lasarus. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission V DPR Lasarus said that he was investigating reports of alleged buying and selling mafia flight hours in the country's aviation industry in a forthcoming meeting with the Ministry of Transportation and airlines.

The statement was in response to reports of the alleged sale and purchase mafia flight hours. The suspicion of this mafia started with the absence of Garuda Indonesia flights in favorite hours. Likewise with Garuda Indonesia's subsidiary, Citilink Indonesia.

"Yes, we'll try to ask questions, we'll discuss them. If it's true, we'll explore it later. This is good information," he told VOI, Monday, September 29.

Even so, Lasarus admitted that Garuda Indonesia had never complained about the flight hours or slot times given to the airline.

The slot time is the official schedule given by airport authorities to airlines to take-off or land at certain airports.

"That's why I still want to check first. This talk is whether it starts from the data. Because Garuda itself never complained to us," he said.

Regarding time slots, continued Lasarus, the authorities in this case have regulated the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation. The number of time slots obtained is also different, depending on how many fleets the airline has.

"Usually it's arranged. For example, like this, not all airlines have the same number of planes. It's impossible to share evenly," he explained.

Previously, a member of Commission VI of the DPR from the PDI-Perjuangan faction, Mufti Anam, revealed allegations of a mafia buying and selling flight hours in the aviation business in Indonesia.

In fact, continued Mufti, flight hours can be traded at a quite fantastic price of billions of rupiah.

"Is this true, there is no mafia about this flying time? He said the price is billions of rupiah, if there is, we ask law enforcement to investigate this matter," he said at the Hearing Meeting between Commission VI and Garuda Indonesia, InJourney Airports, and IAS, Monday, September 22.

The suspicion of the sale and purchase mafia during this flight, continued Mufti, started with the absence of Garuda Indonesia flights in favorite hours. Likewise with Garuda Indonesia's subsidiary, Citilink Indonesia.

"I had a chance to chat with Commission V friends, he said that the flight hours were for sale. Is that right, sir? We ask you to answer on the spot, don't be afraid, sir. We will help you how Garuda can have idle hours," he said.

For your information, flight idle hours usually refer to the time the plane does not operate or wait on land between flights. This condition is more often called a trunaround or time to stop flying.

"Because it turns out that idle hours are controlled by private flights. Even certain hours because it's really idle there are flights that are only 30 minutes away and if it's empty it's used as just one flight," he said.

Mufti bilang akibat penggabungan itu, banyak penumpang pesawat yang terdampak delay atau penundaan penerbangan.

“Akhirnya berdampak kepada penumpang harus delay dan sebagainya,” katanya.

Mufti said that due to the merger, many airplane passengers were affected by the delay or flight delays.

"Finally, it has an impact on passengers having to delay and so on," he said.