Minister: No ban on Lion Air operations in Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 31 — There is no ban or suspension of Lion Air flight operations in Malaysia following a crash involving the airline’s aircraft in Indonesia on Monday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.

He said Malaysian aviation authorities were aware that Lion Air had been banned from flying to the European Union; however, the matter has been resolved.

“We cannot make a similar conclusion (to ban Lion Air from Malaysia’s air space),” he told reporters when asked whether there was a proposal to ban Lion Air flights in Malaysia following the crash.

Loke, who was met after the National Shipping and Port Council engagement session at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here today, said that Lion Air flight operations in Malaysia complied with all applicable standards and regulations.

Lion Air, headquartered in Indonesia, operates flights in Malaysia flying between Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Jakarta and Surabaya.

According to media reports, Lion Air was banned from operating in the European Union from 2007 to 2016.

The Lion Air JT610 Jakarta-Pangkal Pinang flight carrying 181 passengers and eight crew members crashed into the waters of Tanjung Karawang, West Java shortly after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 6.20am on Monday. — Bernama

Source: MalayMail