Indonesian airlines 'safe to fly'

Twenty-one people were killed in the Garuda plane crash last March.

The Indonesian government has cleared almost all the country's airlines to continue flying after a safety audit in the wake of a string of disasters.

The national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, was promoted to the top safety category, three months after one of its planes crashed, killing 21 people.

The transport ministry also approved Adam Air. One of its jets vanished in January, along with 102 passengers.

Nineteen out of 21 airlines audited were allowed to continue operating.

Five Australians were among those killed in March when a Garuda plane overshot the runway and burst into flames in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta.

The government review comes after the United States advised its citizens to avoid flying Indonesian airlines amid concerns about their safety standards.

The Indonesian audit was based on criteria such as surveillance, ramp checks, personnel, department safety, number of accidents and number of serious incidents.