REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WEST KOTAWARINGIN -- Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan vowed to inform the public about any problematic airlines in the wake of the AirAsia flight QZ8501 crash in Karimata Strait, Central Kalimantan, on December 28.
"Investigations are ongoing. If we find any problematic airlines, we will make an announcement about them as early as the end of this week," Jonan said following a meeting with the management of Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun, West Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday.
He alleged that many airplanes had served flight routes without permits.
Therefore, the minister affirmed that he would not hesitate to make the names of any airlines known to the public if they were found violating flight routes.
When asked whether such an announcement would have a psychological impact on those who already bought tickets, he pointed out that airline companies must be held responsible for it.
"If they do not have permits for the flight routes, why do they continue to sell tickets for them?" Jonan questioned.
AirAsia flight QZ8501 carrying 162 people on board went missing on December 28 en route from Surabaya, East Java, to Singapore.
The ill-fated plane is believed to have crashed in the Java Sea near Karimata Strait, some 95 nautical miles from Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan.
On Wednesday (January 7), the eleventh day of search operations, the joint search and rescue team found two more bodies of AirAsia crash victims.
Till Wednesday, 41 bodies were recovered and 39 of them were flown to the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya for identification.