Indonesian State-owned Enterprises Mustafa Abubakar said on Thursday that that his ministry and the Transport Ministry would like to facilitate the talks between the pilots of leading carrier Garuda airline and the management.

The minister made the statement as hundreds of the pilots are staging strikes for better payment on Thursday.

"The transport minister and I will facilitate a meeting between the pilot and the management to settle the problem," Minister Mustafa said at the Islamic Center here.

The Garuda local pilots have complained over their salaries which are less than those of foreign pilots being hired by the firm.

"The call for the strike must be taken as a lesson. Communication must be improved to avoid complaints among the pilots," he said.

The strikes has caused some flight delays in several parts of the country, according to local media.

"Should there are delays, it could be understood in this situation," said Mustafa.

Garuda Indonesia employs about 800 pilots, 43 of whom are foreign pilots under contract of works.

The shortage of pilots has led Garuda airline to hire pilots from overseas whose contract payment is much higher than their local colleagues.

"The problem of pilot shortage is not only being experienced by Indonesia but also by the world," said spokesman of Transport Ministry Bambang Ervan.

Indonesia aviation industry has made some progress following the lifting of European Union travel ban in 2009 after it had been applied for six years.