Missing jet puts Indonesia aviation safety back in focus

Jakarta

THE disappearance of an Indonesia AirAsia passenger jet comes at a sensitive time for Jakarta's aviation authorities, as they strive to improve the country's safety reputation to match its status as one of the airline industry's fastest growing markets.

The Airbus A320, with 162 people on board, is presumed to have crashed into the Java Sea on a flight from Indonesia's second city Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday, putting renewed scrutiny on the regulation of airlines in a country that remains on the European Union's aviation blacklist.