Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Friday a recent decision by the European Union to ban all Indonesian airlines from flying to the region would have no significant impact on the country.

 

Kalla said currently no Indonesian airline has scheduled flights to any European destinations, although flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has announced a plan to reopen route to Amsterdam that was ceased in 2004.

 

"Formally, there is no impact at all. But of course it has psychological effects because many European people stay here," Kalla told reporters at his office here.

 

He said Indonesia could take a lesson from the EU move by improving the aviation safety standards.

 

The European Commission Thursday announced that all 51 airlines certified in Indonesia would be blocked from flying to the EU.

  

 

(Xinhua News Agerncy June 30, 2007)