Pelita Air (IP, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) is converting one of its three ATR72-500s into a freighter as it prepares to deploy the turboprop on behalf of state-owned PT Angkasa Pura Logistik, Cargo Facts has reported.
PK-PAW (msn 746), a 13-year-old turboprop with 17,595 flight hours accumulated as of November 30, 2019, entered the Indopelita Aircraft Services facility at Jakarta Pondok Cabe airport in January 2020, although the actual conversion started in late February. Indopelita is Pelita Air's in-house MRO facility. Aeroconseil is undertaking the conversion itself.
Pelita Air, a charter specialist owned by national oil company Pertamina, has been operating the ATR - Avions de Transport Régional aircraft in a passenger configuration since 2013. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the airline operates a further two ATR72-500s, of which one has been inactive since January 2020.
In January, PT Angkasa Pura Logistik announced it would charter two ATR72-500(F)s from Pelita Air to operate cargo flights from Jakarta to Balikpapan and Makassar with more routes to be added going forward.
Besides the three ATR72-500s, Pelita Air also operates a single ATR42-500, an ARJ-85 for the Armed Forces (TNI-AU Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara), CN-212s, Air Tractor AT802s, and a fleet of helicopters.
