SANCTION FOR AIRLINES WITH DRUG-ADDICTED PILOTS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 9 (ANTARA) - The fate of passengers on an airplane is decided by its pilot, who is responsible for the safety of a flight from the time an aircraft takes off until it lands.          A pilot who flies an airplane under the influence of drugs cannot be tolerated, as it poses a threat to the life of all passengers. It seems, however, that airlines in the country are not free from pilots with drug addictions.          The recent arrest of a pilot in Surabaya, East Java, before he was to fly a plane, is a case in point. As an act in being responsible, both the pilot and the airlines should receive sanctions.          In this regard, the Ministry of Transportation is formulating sanctions it will impose upon the national airline company whose pilot was recently arrested for using the drug methamphetamine.          The sanctions will be taken against the airlines. However, the ministry will not revoke its operating license.          "We are drawing up sanctions. Yet we have to take into account the social impact it will create if the sanction is given. You can image what impact it will create if the company is closed down," Transportation Minister EE Mangindaan said Wednesday.          On Saturday last week, National Narcotics Agency (BNN) officers arrested a pilot (SS) working for PT Lion Air in a hotel in Surabaya, East Java, after he had taken methamphetamine at 03.30 am. Police arrested SS and three other pilots while they were playing cards.          After undergoing a urine test, SS was determined to have consumed methamphetamine, while the drug tests on the remaining three pilots proved negative. SS was scheduled to go on duty at 06.00 that day.          The arrest was made following the development of a case in Makassar in January 2012 in which a pilot from the same airline was arrested after testing positive for using narcotics.          "It is hoped no more pilots would dare consume any kind of narcotics. This is very dangerous and has become BNN's special concern," BNN chief for East Java, Senior Commissioner Jan De Fretes, said.          Mangindaan said that his ministry had given the company a strong warning so it would not repeat the same mistake. He said that his office had been informed long ago that the pilots of a certain airline used drugs, but it had no proof.          "We had been informed of this long ago, but only now do we have proof so we could cooperate with the BNN," the minister said.          The ministry of transportation and the ministry of health are now cooperating to find an accurate method of screening pilots. The BNN, on the other hand, is expected to continue investigating and arresting those selling drugs to  pilots.          "We hope we can eliminate it if it does exist," Mangindaan said.          With regard to the SS case, the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission V, which deals with transportation, said it would order PT Lion Air management to appear at a hearing.          "The House has previously summoned the transportation minister and PT Lion Air management due to a similar case with a pilot. But, why should the same case recur?" Muhammad Arwani Thomafi, one of the commission V members, asked.          Also, the House commission, he said, would ask the Air Transportation director general of the Transportation Ministry to urge PT Lion Air to revoke the license of the pilot who used the drug.          For the disclosure of the SS case tarnished the image of the nation¿s aviation industry in the eyes of the international world.          Further, legal expert Dr Pedastaren Tarigan of the University of North Sumatra (USU) said a national drug test is needed to be conducted on all pilots of state-owned and privately run airlines. "The health test is needed to anticipate undesired things and to ensure the safety of passengers," he said.          He said that the drug test should be supervised by the ministry of transportation so that the health conditions of pilots could be transparently known. Thus, airlines would be able to know pilots who are using illegal drugs and those who are not.          Actually, certain airlines, like PT Garuda, performs screenings of their pilots.          "To be frank, drug abuse not only smears the reputation of the pilot profession, but also tarnishes the image of the country's aviation industry," Operation Director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, Capt Ari Sapari, said.          In order to avoid drug abuse within the national aviation industry, Ari appealed to all national airlines to provide proper education for their pilots. Ari Sapari also supported the efforts of the regulator or the transportation ministry to settle various problems relating to drug abuse.          "This case has caused people to be afraid of flying," he said.          He added that PT Garuda Indonesia held periodic random checks of its pilots in an effort to prevent the emergence of problems, such as pilots using illegal drugs before flying.          "We can assure that Garuda pilots are clean," Capt Ari Sapari said, adding that the management always held random check-ups in various cities.          The check-ups are held for all pilots and Garuda staff members, without any exceptions in any location and at any time. Besides, all pilots must undergo individual check-ups and tests, such as health checks, psychological tests and flight simulations 14 times each year.***1*** (T.A014/a/INE/a014) (T.SYS/A/A014/A/A014) 09-02-2012 20:38:2