UN: AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 Took Off From Worst Country For Aviation Safety Oversight
QZ 8501, a flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore, has some advantages on this flight route. The pilot was experienced, clearance from Singapore's Changi Airport meant it was safe to fly, and the budget airline structure adopted by AirAsia made air travel during the holidays appealing to South Asian frequent fliers. However, there were some factors that were not up to par with aviation standards of European and American carriers.
According to the United Nations agency for civil aviation, Indonesia has the worst oversight of aviation safety in comparison with any other major country. Reports reveal that the most recent audit conducted 8 months ago point out that Indonesia is headed 'in the wrong direction' in air transport safety.
The news comes on the heels of the Indonesian transport minister suspending all those who were working on the day of the fateful Dec. 28th departure of AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 and he also sacked those responsible for giving clearance to AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 for takeoff. As instructed since the end of last year, all operating carriers were expected to give pilots a mandatory weather briefing which did not happen on this flight from Surabaya to Singapore.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has been auditing Indonesian flights for sixteen years and now its asking: Is the country's oversight body free from political influence? Does it have enough qualified staff to assess airlines? Are airlines sufficiently disciplined when they are in breach of safety rules?
"Indonesia rated below average in all eight categories, including legislation, operations and airworthiness," FiveThirtyEight.com reported. "The organizational structure of its civil aviation rated well below average, scoring 18 percent compared to a global average of 65 percent."
