Indonesia ban…

Indonesia plans to ban local carriers from operating jetliners more than 10 years old as part of a safety campaign following a string of crashes and accidents.

The plan is likely to be unpopular with Indonesia’s booming airline industry, which may raise questions over its effectiveness given that many experts say good maintenance of a plane – not its age – is the most important factor in airline safety.

“The main thing is we need a renewal of our fleet,” Indonesia’s Transport Minister Hatta Rajasa said after a Cabinet meeting held aboard the presidential train.

Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said the proposed regulation, which Rajasa said would not need parliamentary approval, would ban “all jets used for commercial purposes” that were more than 10 years old.

Rajasa – who has been under pressure to resign following deadly accidents on ferries and trains as well as planes – said the government was also planning a ban on old ferries, but gave no more details.

On January 1, a jetliner crashed into the sea in eastern Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board.

Last week, a plane operated by the same budget airline had a hard landing, buckling its body.

source: http://www.theage.com.au/news/travel/plane-ban-after-crack-landing/2007/02/28/1172338695235.html