AirAsia Violated Agrred Flight Schedule: Transportation Ministry

Jakarta (Antara) - Low-cost carrier Indonesia AirAsia has violated an agreed flight schedule from Surabaya (East Java province) to Singapore, Transportation Ministry's Acting Director General for Air Transportation Djoko Murdjatmojo said Monday. "Based on our observation, AirAsia does not fly in accordance with the schedule agreed with the government," Djoko stated at a press conference. According to the Foreign Flight Permit Letter No AU/008/30/6/DRJU/DAU issued for the year of 2014/2015, AirAsia's flight services on the Surabaya to Singapore route are supposed to be on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. However, the ill-fated AirAsia flight QZ 8501 flew on Sunday morning, he pointed out. Djoko remarked that if AirAsia wanted to change its flight schedule, it should have sent an official proposal to the Directorate General for Air Transportation. "We never received any official letter from AirAsia requesting a change in its flight schedule," Djoko emphasized. He noted the Transportation Ministry will soon audit-related authorities who were involved in AirAsia's scheduling case. Djoko added he will revoke the flight permits of airlines that violate agreed flying schedule. Earlier, Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Vice-Marshal F Henry Bambang Soelistyo said at least 31 bodies of AirAsia crash victims have been recovered and evacuated so far. "Until now, the number of corpses that have been confirmed is 31. Of this, 30 have been evacuated to Surabaya while one is still aboard a ship and will be transported to Pangkalan Bun first," Soelistyo explained.(*)