ST Aerospace pays $6,600 fine for alleged air incursion

Singapore Technologies (ST) Aerospace has paid a 60 million rupiah ($6,600) fine for an alleged incursion into Indonesian air space by one of its aircraft.

Confirming that the fine was paid to Indonesia's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), an ST Aerospace spokesman said yesterday its "top priority was to bring our aircraft and crew back to Singapore earliest possible".

The C90GTi King Air civilian plane, owned by ST Aerospace and operated by its pilot training arm, Pacific Flight Services, was enroute to Singapore from Sibu, Sarawak, when it was intercepted by Indonesian fighter jets at about 1.35pm on Tuesday.

The plane, carrying a Singaporean pilot and two foreigners, was made to land at Pontianak and detained. It returned to Seletar Airport on Wednesday.

"In line with the laws and the decision by the DGAC, they were fined 60 million rupiah, which goes into the state treasury, for entering the Republic of Indonesia without permission," Commander of Supadio Pontianak Air Base Tedi Rizalhadi was quoted as saying in Indonesian media reports.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which is looking into the incident, said the aircraft filed a flight plan with Singapore Air Traffic Control (ATC), Kuching ATC and other ATC units along its route.

It added that "some states also require aircraft operators, especially non-scheduled flights, to give advance notification of their planned flights when flying over their sovereign airspace.

In the case of Indonesia, they require operators of non-scheduled flights to apply for a permit."

ST Aerospace said it followed protocol and filed the original flight plans.

It added it will "continue to seek clarification with the authorities on the matter, and make necessary changes to the flight plan as required".

This article was first published on October 31, 2014.
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