Transportation Ministry Freezes Air Asia's Surabaya-Singapore Flight Permit

Jakarta (Antara) - The Indonesian Transportation Ministry has frozen the permit for AirAsia's Surabaya-Singapore flight route starting January 2 until the investigation into AirAsia flight QZ 8501's December 28 crash is completed, the ministry's Spokesman JA Barata said in a press release on Saturday. The Transportation Ministry said PT Indonesia AirAsia had violated the flight permit given by the ministry, which has been stated in the Foreign Flight Permit released for year 2014-2015. The permit states that AirAsia was only allowed to fly from Surabaya to Singapore on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, whereas the ill-fated AirAsia flight QZ 8501 flew on a Sunday morning. "PT Indonesia AirAsia did not apply to the Transportation Ministry's Directorate General of Air Transportation for a flight operational change. This is a violation of the flight permit that we have given," said Barata. Passengers, who have booked tickets for AirAsia on the Surabaya-Singapore route and vice versa, are going to be referred to another airline. (*)