Indonesia's Merpati eyes cargo and MRO potential in Africa

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 (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 simultaneously...