EMIRSYAH TO LEAD INACA FOR ANOTHER TERM

Bandung, W Java, June 11 (ANTARA) - PT Garuda Indonesia president director Emirsyah Satar said he had been reelected as general chairman of the National Air Carriers Association (Inaca) for the 2010-2012 period.

Tengku Burhanuddin meanwhile was renamed secretary general in a general meeting of members of the airlines organization, he said to newsmen here on Friday.

The newcomers in the board are Syafril Nasution, the CEO of PT Indonesia Air Transport Tbk as head of chartered flights and Bayu Sutanto, the president director of PT Aviastar Mandiri, as head of non-chartered flights.

In the meeting the organization agreed to improve the organization's statutes and internal rules as 16 chartered airlines that were initially members of the Association of Chartered Airlines (IACA) had joined INACA.

The meeting had also given 12 proposals and inputs to the government and parties concerned including the need for the government to protect domestic flight market which in the past 10 years grew significantly so that it would not be taken by foreign airlines especially after the implementation of Open Sky in 2015-2020.

"Our purpose is one namely to make domestic airlines strong to meet domestic, regional and international competition," Emirsyah said.

Another proposal is for the government to immediately increase the capacity of airports and other supporting facilities including increasing the operational hours of airports in the country.

"The operational hours of some airports in Indonesian eastern regions need to be increased. They should not only be open from six in the morning to six in the evening," he said.

Emirsyah said the operational hours of airports needed to be increased to boost average utilization of Indonesian aircraft to 12 hours a day for small aircraft.

Regarding the proposals the directorate general of air transportation, Herry Bakti S Gumay, said they are all "our common challenges."
"They are not problems but our challenges. We will accommodate them and seek a way out," he said. ***2***
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