AIRLINE PREPARES TO WELCOME MORE TOURISTS, AND PURSUE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

Mandala Airlines has welcomed the decision by the European Commission to withdraw the airline from the schedule of Indonesian carriers subject to an EU operating ban.

The formal announcement in July followed a recommendation by the EU Air Safety Committee recommending that Mandala Airlines be removed from the list of air carriers, subject to an operating ban within the European Community. Mandala, along with three other Indonesian carriers, will be withdrawn from the Community’s list of banned Indonesian airlines, impacted by the blanket ban imposed since July 2007.

President Director of Mandala Airlines, Diono Nurjadin, thanked Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation, Jusman Syafii Djamal, as well as the Director General of Air Transportation, Herry Bhakti Singayuda and his staff of the Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), for their safety initiatives and measures implemented to ensure Indonesia’s regulations satisfied the stringent safety standards required by the European Community.

“I am proud that the efforts by the shareholders and employees of Mandala to benchmark the airline to international safety standards have been recognized by the European Community. It means Mandala is comparable with European airlines as far as safety standards are concerned,” he said. “Mandala is the only privately owned Indonesian scheduled airline to be withdrawn from the EU ban. It has shown its commitment by investing heavily in safety systems, company-wide training for staff and a carefully planned refleeting program.”

He said Mandala remained totally committed to the process of continuous improvement, and would continue to work with the DGCA to support its ongoing safety measures and audits; while further investing in training and safety systems as the airline expands its fleet and network.

While Mandala has no immediate plans to fly to Europe, the President Director noted that the lifting of the ban would provide an opportunity for increased tourism to Indonesia and for members of the EU living in Indonesia to further enjoy the beautiful archipelago. “Indonesia has not realized its true tourist potential due to the EU ban. We welcome the opportunity to provide air services to tourists and to partner with international airlines to provide interline connections to boost tourism to Indonesia.

“I see huge opportunities for cooperation with airlines and travel industry partners, especially with the upcoming implementation of the Asean Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) in 2010.”