TRAVELLERS in Indonesia struggling with the usual rough landings and delayed flights now have a new cause for concern: was the pilot smoking crystal meth before take-off?
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The arrest of a Lion Air pilot for possession of 0.4 grams of crystal methamphetamine over the weekend, the third such incident in the past seven months, has raised concern over just how widespread drug use is among Indonesian pilots.
A month earlier, another Lion Air pilot was arrested with an undisclosed amount of crystal meth in a karaoke bar in South Sulawesi, while two Lion Air co-pilots were arrested for possession of crystal meth and ecstasy last September.
The incidents have put pressure on the government to enforce stricter regulations, the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association said yesterday.
Manotar Napitupulu, an adviser from the Indonesian Pilots Federation, said the booming industry was fuelling the growing use of narcotics among pilots.
''Pilots make big money. The more they fly, the more money they earn. I think it's more about lifestyle,'' he said. ''The bigger the money, the more expensive your lifestyle will be. Methamphetamine is not cheap, you know.''
A pilot with national carrier Garuda Indonesia, Captain Napitupulu denied that drug use was widespread, but said it was time the Transportation Ministry started conducting random blood and urine tests on Indonesian pilots.
In line with Indonesia's booming economy, the aviation sector has experienced strong growth over recent years, and Lion Air is one of the star players. Late last year the budget airline signed a $US21.7 billion deal with Boeing, the largest in the US company's history.
From January to October 2011, Indonesian airlines flew 56 million passengers, with the International Air Transport Association forecasting passenger demand to rise 4.6 per cent this year.
''Airlines have become a big business, but unfortunately security and safety regulations have not been sufficiently enforced,'' said Rizal Ramli, an economic adviser to former president Abdurrahman Wahid and part of the government's first efforts to liberalise the aviation sector.
Despite its success, Lion Air is among several Indonesian carriers that are banned from flying to Europe due to safety concerns. The International Air Transport Association also rejected the airline's membership application, citing safety issues.
Intense competition and rampant corruption, Dr Ramli said, were responsible for the dire state of safety and airport infrastructure. While Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was designed to handle 22 million passengers annually, analysts expect that figure will jump to 54 million in 2015 and 66 million by 2020.
Plans to revamp and upgrade airports across the country are under way, but poor enforcement of regulations continues to undermine Indonesia's vast economic potential.
''Corruption is now decentralised, from the top ministers to the local bupatis [regents],'' Dr Ramli said. ''Without major changes to this environment, infrastructure and corruption, Indonesia will become the next Philippines, not the next China.''
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