Indonesia Cracks Down on Airlines

Indonesia is cracking down on loose flight regulations and weather policies that may have contributed to the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501. On Monday, the country’s transportation ministry announced a new set of rules targeting some of the problems that plagued the Dec. 28 AirAsia flight that crashed. All pilots will be forced to go over pre-departure weather briefings and comply with more stringent takeoff regulations. It also announced that the air-traffic control, the airport operator, and the airport aviation office on call during the AirAsia flight would be suspended. AirAsia is already being investigated for possibly violating Indonesian aviation laws, and all airlines’ permits and licenses are being investigated by the government. On Saturday, Indonesia banned all flights between Surabaya and Singapore, the route of the ill-fated flight that killed all 162 on board when it crashed.