Three suspended over aircraft collision in Indonesia

At least three AirNav Indonesia traffic controllers were suspended for three weeks after a collision between aircraft operated by Batik Air and TransNusa Air Services.

"Three people have been suspended, the controller, assistant controller and supervisor," Jakarta Globe quoted AirNav operations director Wisnu Darjono as saying on Tuesday.

The move came after a Batik Air aircraft collided with a TransNusa Air Services aircraft on Monday night. The air traffic controllers worked at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta.

"That night they were trembling, so we have yet to do anything, and have only collected data with the National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) today (Tuesday)," Wisnu said.

He added that AirNav was evaluating and investigating the cause of the incident and that it has submitted its report to the KNKT for further investigation.

Wisnu stated that the air traffic control operations are controlled by an agreement between AirNav and the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU).

Batik Air, a subsidiary of Lion Group, is still calculating its losses after the incident and it has yet to come up with a figure. It has also submitted a report to the KNKT.

"What losses are we talking about here? We still need time to calculate the technicalities. Calculations don't just happen in hours, and we are expecting to get the figures within two or three days," Lion Group president director Edward Sirait said.

"The investigation is still under process. We're going to see the investigation result from some institutions. Of course in this context, the insurance company plays a bigger role. I'm sure the investigation will turn out well and independently," Edward said.