JAKARTA - THE Indonesian authorities have grounded nine airlines which failed to improve their safety record, the Transport Ministry said yesterday.

Four airlines had their operating licences revoked and five other small airlines were suspended for failing to improve their safety in the past three months, said Ms Fitri, an official at the air transport directorate-general's office.

Jatayu Gelang Sejahtera, Aviasi Upataraksa, Alfa Trans Dirgantara and Prodexim had their licences revoked.

Ms Fitri said the five suspended airlines - Germania Trisila Air, Atlas Delta Setia, Survey Udara Penas, Kura-kura Aviation and SMAC - had been given three months to boost their safety standards.

The groundings follow the Transport Ministry's latest quarterly review of airline safety and comes after a series of accidents in Indonesia's rapidly growing airline industry.

Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia - one of whose planes crashed in March, killing 22 - has raised its safety standards and now ranks alone in the top category after being upgraded a tier, Ms Fitri said.

Seven others moved from the third and lowest tier to the second, including Adam Air.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE