The first group of Indonesian aviation safety inspectors have completed training in Australia and returned home to apply their new skills and expertises to the country’s rapidly growing transport sector.

A second group of inspectors arrived last weekend and started their training today.

The presence of the inspectors is part of Australia’s ongoing work with Indonesian Government agencies to improve overall transport safety in Indonesia – not only for Indonesians but also the 300,000 visiting Australians.

In January I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indonesian Minister for Transportation, Jusman Syafi’i Djamal, in Jakarta, that provided the basis for a $24 million bilateral package of assistance over three years.

Our co-operative relationship with Indonesia is producing results. I am confident the inspectors from the Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation will benefit enormously from the intensive mentoring they received while in Australia.

Under this program, CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) will provide training to up to forty Indonesian aviation safety inspectors in Australia each year, comprising seven training rotations of six inspectors for about four weeks.

The inspectors entering the program will have their competencies assessed before and after their training in Australia. Each will be assigned to a mentor who will monitor their progress on their return to Jakarta, including the transfer of skills to other staff.

While the numbers receiving training as part of this program may at first glance appear small, it will nonetheless make a significant contribution to lifting safety standards in a country that has just 116 inspectors for a population of more than 230 million.

The first group of six inspectors arrived in Brisbane on 23 February, where they undertook two weeks of classroom training followed by two weeks of on-the-job experience.

The project is one of a broader range of activities being developed under the Indonesia Transport Safety Assistance Package (ITSAP). Other activities include:

• Improving air traffic management services in Indonesia;


• Provision of expertise and guidance in order to enhance Indonesia’s capacity to undertake investigations of transport accidents; and


• Marine safety training, search and rescue cooperation and ferry safety.