xpressair (XAR, Makassar) and KalStar Aviation (Berau) are among the carriers that have applied to the Indonesian government to assume routes left vacant following the recent suspension of operations at Merpati (Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta).
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation in the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation said over twenty domestic routes had not been serviced since early February but noted that traffic rights would only be awarded to those airlines whose fleets met minimum criteria.
Merpati suspended flights on February 1 citing a massive debt overhang amounting to IDR6.7trillion (USD549million). The airline was given until the end of the month to consolidate and resume its operations.
