The European Commission has maintained a ban on all Indonesian airlines flying to the European Union, saying that Indonesia had not introduced an efficient safety oversight regime and that safety gains had not yet been assessed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Having hoped that the ban would be lifted by the end of July, obbviously Indonesia are unhappy with the decision. Foreign ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah even issued a comment that the ban could be politically motivated.

The ban was first imposed on 51 airlines last year after a series of accidents occured, including an Adam Air plane which killed everyone on board.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has delayed his plan to travel to Europe, to talk about the fuel prices hike. Stating his stand on this matter, he would only visit EU states on board Garuda Indonesia.

The disappointment is unsurprising. Indonesia’s tourism has greatly suffered from strings of natural disasters, and also terrorist attacks. Without doubt, most people must think that the ban would only mean another blow.

I am too shamed, naturally. But I beg to differ on the last point. Even before the ban, in recent years there have been no airlines from Indonesia which fly to Europe — except through code-share agreements. And do correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I know the only airline to ever do so was Garuda Indonesia. Thus, isn’t it a bit ridiculous to delay other important issues, just to save the face of Garuda Indonesia? In any case, the government could just improve the airlines’ safety system to get the ban lifted. As Xinhua News Agency reported, Garuda only performede nine survey of 56 required from January through to April.