THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has lifted the ban on Garuda and three other Indonesian airlines entering its airspace. The state-owned national flag-carrier, along with Mandala Airlines and cargo operators PremiAir and Airfast Indonesia, will now be able to resume flights to the 27-nation bloc. EU ambassador to Indonesia Julia Wilson said the country has made significant improvement in aviation safety, and hinted that two low-cost carriers, Air Asia Indonesia and Lion Air, might also be taken off the blacklist in the near future. Dian Wirenjurit, Indonesia's director of intra-regional cooperation for Europe and the US, told E&T that the EU wants Indonesia to revamp its policies and regulations to EU standards, and has agreed to lift the ban on more Indonesian airlines when new regulations are in place.
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