Singapore’s top envoy in Indonesia said former Indonesian air force officers had misrepresented the facts when speaking to local media about the Singapore Flight Information Region (FIR).
“Their comments, as reported, misrepresent the facts. First the administration of the FIR is not an issue of sovereignty,” Singapore’s Ambassador to Indonesia Anil Kumar Nayar said. His letter to the chief editor of MetroTVnews was posted on the Singapore embassy’s Facebook on Tuesday (Dec 12).
“It is based on operational and technical considerations to provide effective air traffic control services.” The report in MetroTVnews.com on Nov 30 was titled “Pemerintah Harus Segera Kendalikan Penerbangan di Langit Kepri” (The government should immediately control flights over Kepri skies), referring to the skies over Riau Islands province.
The report carried the comments of former Indonesian Air Force chief of staff, Air Chief Marshal (Retired) Chappy Hakim and chairman of the Air Power Centre of Indonesia Air Vice-Marshal (Retired) Koesnadi Kardi.
Indonesia’s ambition to become a major regional aviation player also involves reclaiming the FIR, which Singapore currently controls for take-offs, landings and overflights in the region. In pushing to take over the Singapore FIR, some Indonesian officials have said Jakarta should have full control as it involves the country’s sovereignty.
But the envoy noted: “The paramount priority is aviation safety. This complex issue is under the ambit of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and involves other countries and international users of the busy airspace covered by the FIR.”
Ambassador Nayar added: “It is not unusual for the air traffic authorities of one country to provide air traffic management services in the territorial airspace of another country. “Indonesia, for example, provides air traffic management services in airspace which belongs to other countries.”
Source: straitstimes
