Pilots in Indonesia cried foul over a transportation official's recent announcements which blamed Indonesia AirAsia for apparent procedural lapses that led to the disappearance of flight QZ8501 over the Java Sea on December 28 last year.

Reports said Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan dressed down Indonesia AirAsia executives in a visit to the airline's office last week. An Indonesian news website quoted the minister as saying that state regulations such as attending weather briefings have to be complied with or licenses to operate can be revoked.

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Ignasius was the head of government-run train operator Kereta Api Indonesia before he was appointed transportation minister in October.

His comments drew flak from Indonesian pilots who openly criticized the minister's outburst in letters published online.

A senior pilot, Sardjono Jhony Tjitrokusumo, found Ignasius' remarks without merit, saying they obviously came from a person who knows nothing of aviation. In a statement sent to media, he said pilots are not at fault if they do not take part in a weather briefing because it is not required before takeoff.

Sardjono said pilots usually familiarize themselves with weather conditions from reports released by Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. He said they get printed weather data that is provided before they fly and it will be impractical to have pilots line up for a weather briefing.

Sardjono asked officials and the public to wait for the findings of a probe into the crash by the National Committee on Transportation Safety.

Another pilot, Fadjar Nugroho, addressed an open letter to Ignasius, which clarified with the minister that country's weather agency had long been allowing pilots to get updated weather information on its website, the same information provided in a briefing.

He explained the Internet has allowed the weather forecaster to provide weather updates online, that is as good as those provided by meteorological agencies in other countries. Fadjar added pilots can even see satellite images on the weather agency's website.

He told the transport minister not to admonish pilots for getting their weather information from the Internet. The pilot pointed out that as aviators, they appreciate human lives - their own and those of passengers and their families.

TagsIndonesian pilots, blame game, AirAsia, QZ8501, plane crash