Indonesia to probe Lion Air crash

JAKARTA, Nov 05 (AFP): Indonesia is to launch a "special audit" of Lion Air's operations in the wake of last week's deadly crash that killed 189 people, the government said Monday.

The budget carrier has been a regular target of complaints about poor service, unreliable scheduling and safety issues, including a fatal 2004 crash.

That safety record has been under the microscope since a new Boeing 737-Max 8 plunged into the Java Sea just 12 minutes after taking off from Jakarta last Monday.

"We will…conduct a special audit of the crews' qualifications and staff communication," transportation minister Budi Karya Sumadi told reporters Monday.

"This is a preventative measure…(The accident) is a very expensive lesson for us."

Civil Aviation authorities in the United States and Europe were also being consulted for their help in the probe, he added.