Indonesia to improve air safety

By Lucy Williamson
BBC News, Jakarta

Indonesia has suffered a number of aviation tragedies this year

Indonesia has signed an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation to improve the safety record of airlines in the country.

The deal, signed this week at a meeting in Bali, commits Indonesia to increase transparency and safety checks.

The declaration comes just days after the EU announced it was banning all Indonesian airlines from operating in Europe.

The ban was announced in reaction to a series of safety failures this year.

The ICAO agreement includes some key changes to Indonesia's safety procedures.

For the first time, airports - as well as airlines - will need to be given safety checks.

'Short' landing strips

One pilot, familiar with the country's airports, told the BBC that several landing strips were dangerously short or badly positioned.

The new rule comes four months after a flight operated by the national carrier, Garuda Airlines, overran the runway at Yogyakarta airport and burst into flames, killing more than 20 people.

Another key plank of this agreement is the demand for more transparency in crash investigation.

Many observers have complained in the past that reports by the transport safety board were not shared with the public.

Indonesia suffered two major air disasters in the first three months of this year, leading to a ban on its airlines flying to the EU.

The transport ministry has said it plans to send representatives to the Europe in the next few months to highlight the increased safety procedures.

But the key test is likely to be implementing these new rules effectively on the ground.