Merpati Orders 40 Jet Planes from China

Tuesday, 21 February 2012 14:53

Written by Hans GN

JAKARTA, Indonesia Today - Eastern region-operated airline, PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines, has ordered 40 ARJ 21-700 jet planes from Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), Detikfinance.com reported.

Sardjono Jhony Tjitrokusumo, president director of Merpati, said the order of jet planes aims to support the airline's transformation program in 2016-2018.

He said Comac manufacture is currently proposing to get certification for the jet planes ordered by Merpati from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The first delivery, Sardjono said, is scheduled next year for 4 units of ARJ 21-700 jets. The following deliveries are set for 2014 (4 jet planes), 14 planes in 2015, another 14 planes in 2016 and the remaining 4 planes will be delivered in 2017.

He declined to disclose the value of planes purchase.

Minister of State-owned Enterprise (SoE) Dahlan Iskan earlier said the government will this year inject Rp250 billion of fresh fund to Merpati.

Merpati has been stuck on its debt issue. In 2010, its debts totaled Rp4 trillion, doubled from its asset value. Most of the debts derived from state enterprises such as PT Pertamina, PT Angkasa Pura I, PT Angkasa Pura II, and PT Perusahaan Pengelola Aset (PPA).

Records also said the airline has been knocking ‘bankruptcy’ door. Since 1997 to 2007, the government has injected Rp1.34 billion of capital, of which around Rp534 billion were fresh funds and the rest were non-cash asset such as PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk’s shares and several equipments such as 17 units of F-28 and three units Fokker 100.

Three years AGO, Merpati for the first time became the patient of state asset management PT Perusahaan Pengelola Aset (PPA). Merpati bagged Rp310 billion of loan from PPA, mostly used to compensate around 1,171 terminated employees. (ferdi@theindonesiatoday.com)

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