Jumat, 04 Juli 2008

They Rob Our FIR

RI to ask Malaysia to return its control of FIR over Natuna "This is one of the topics of discussion between President Susilo Bamb... thumbnail 1 summary
RI to ask Malaysia to return its control of FIR over Natuna

"This is one of the topics of discussion between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi in Kuala Lumpur in December 2007," Air Transportation Attache at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Sahar Andika Putra, said here on Thursday.

The FIR over Natuna Island was previously under the control of Singapore and Malaysia under the Asia-Pacific Regional Air Navigation (RAN) agreement reached in Honolulu in 1973.

Under the agreement, Singapore would control air traffic at altitudes of over 20,000 feet over Natuna Island, and below 20,000 feet over Malaysia.

Since 1995, Singapore was prepared to return the FIR control to Indonesia, but Malaysia was reluctant to do the same, although Indonesia has proposed a revised draft on the FIR in 1999 and 2004.