Indonesian carriers cleared for US flights after nine-year ban

Indonesian airlines have been cleared to begin flying to the US, after a safety review by regulators.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said Indonesia had been upgraded to "Category 1" - the toptier air-safety rating - after nearly a decade.

Indonesia's fast-growing aviation market suffered several highprofile accidents and was downgraded in 2007.

The European Union also recently lifted a ban on three Indonesian airlines.

After a safety review in March, Indonesia now complies with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards, the FAA said in a statement.

"With the International Aviation Safety Assessment Category 1 rating, Indonesian air carriers...can establish service to the United States and carry the code of US carriers," the FAA said.

The South-east Asian nation has had 13 fatal plane crashes in the past decade, according to Flightglobal data, higher than the global average.

Indonesia's state carrier Garuda Indonesia could begin flying to the US next year, reports said. It is reportedly exploring a possible new service from the Indonesian capital Jakarta to New York or Los Angeles.

However, analysts say launching in the US market will be a challenging, and potentially costly, enterprise.

"It represents a huge and risky investment at a time Garuda is already struggling with its international operation," Brendan Sobie from the Centre for AsiaPacific Aviation said.

India and the Philippines were returned to Category 1 status in recent years after making improvements. However, Thailand was downgraded last December.