REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V Chairman Fary Djemy Francis has hinted at the possibility of a special committee being established to investigate the AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft crash.
The establishment of a special committee was considered important to address various problems currently being faced by the country's aviation industry, the legislator remarked after a hearing here on Tuesday.
"Concerning our aviation management, which is not at par now, we will see how we can find a way out," Francis stated.
The committee will also evaluate the performance of institutions involved in the recovery process of the AirAsia crash's victims, he affirmed.
It will also monitor the insurance payment process to the victims' families, he noted.
The Parliament invited officials from the transportation ministry, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the National Committee of Transportation Safety (KNKT), and the Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), among others, to attend the hearing.
Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan, however, was not present during the hearing despite being sent the Parliament's letter of invitation on January 6, 2015.
Ade Rizki Pratama, a Commission V member, proposed the establishment of a special committee to probe the plane crash that took place on December 28, 2014.
"I suggest the establishment of the AirAsia special committee as it concerns the passengers' safety and improvement in Indonesia's aviation management, he remarked during the hearing.
The establishment of a special committee was urgently needed to expose the alleged irregularities involving regulators and operators, he emphasized.
The committee was also expected to investigate the transportation ministry's policies on stopping several flight routes and removing several officials in the ministry, the Gerindra politician stated.
The AirAsia flight QZ8501, with 162 people on board, crashed in the Java Sea, near Karimata Bay, some 95 nautical miles from Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan Province, mostly likely due to stormy weather. The ill-fated plane served the Surabaya-Singapore route.
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