Indonesia's Merpati eyes cargo and MRO potential in Africa

Indonesia to liquidate Merpati as state-owned enterprise

Merpati (MZ, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) is among 14 state companies that Erick Thohir, Indonesia’s minister of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), is planning to liquidate, the newspaper Bisnis Indonesia reported.

The ministry’s special representative for communication, Arya Sinulangga, revealed in an online discussion held by the Matangasa Institute, a non-profit educational body, on September 29 that the ministry planned to extinguish the enterprises as part of efforts to reform and downsize the country’s SOEs.

The overall aim of the reform, he explained, is to develop, consolidate, adjust the management boards, disband, or liquidate state-owned enterprises, which continue to play an important role in the national economy.

“There are 41 SOEs that will be maintained and developed, while another 34 will be consolidated or merged, 19 will be included in the PPA [asset management firm PT Perusahaan Manajemen Aset tasked with SOE restructuring], and 14 will be liquidated,” Sinulangga said.

Earlier in February, Thohir announced the reform of its 142 state-owned enterprises, in particular targetting those no longer deemed viable to be preserved.

“Deadweight” companies such...

Relaunch of Indonesia's Merpati hangs in balance

Indonesia's Citilink to add more ATR72-600s in 2020

Smuggled Harley costs Garuda CEO job; Citilink takes A330neo

Citilink (QG, Surabaya) has taken delivery of its first widebody aircraft, an A330-900, Flightradar24 ADS-B data indicates.

PK-GYC (msn 1887) was ferried from Toulouse Blagnac directly to Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta over the course of December 3-4, 2019. The aircraft is dry-leased from Avolon and was originally destined for WOW air (WW, Reykjavik Keflavik) but never taken up due to the Icelandic carrier's bankruptcy. It will be repainted at Jakarta airport before the entry into service.

The ultra-low-cost-carrier is expecting another A330-900, msn 1870, shortly.

The airline has yet to file schedules for the A330-900.

To date, Citilink's fleet included narrowbody jets (forty-two A320-200s and nine A320-200neo) and turboprops (five ATR72-600s). The airline also operates a single B737-500 for cargo operations marketed by Merpati (MZ, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta).

Meanwhile, parent airline Garuda Indonesia (GA, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) has been embroiled in a scandal related to the smuggling of a disassembled Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Brompton folding bicycles onboard a second A330-900 for the airline delivered...