Merpati set to finalize talks on CN-235 soon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Merpati Nusantara, an airline affiliated to
\nstate-owned Garuda Indonesia, will finalize negotiations with a
\nprivate firm on the leasing of 16 locally-made CN-235-200
\naircraft next month, a minister said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said yesterday
\nthat Merpati and PT Mitra Guna, the private firm, will reach a
\nleasing accord beneficial to each other.<\/p>\n
\"The two parties have agreed that the sale price of each CN-
\n235-200 will be US$9.2 million. Negotiation is now about the rate
\nof the monthly leasing fee -- either 1 percent, 1.1 percent or
\n1.2 percent of the selling price,\" he told members of the House
\nof Representatives in a hearing.<\/p>\n
He said that the state-owned PT IPTN, the CN-235 producer,
\nusually sells such aircraft at $13 million each.<\/p>\n
He corrected press reports that named PT Arthasaka Nusaphala
\nas the private firm, stating instead that Mitra Guna is the
\ncorrect name of the firm which will lease the 16 aircraft to
\nMerpati.<\/p>\n
\"I have told the press that Arthasaka is the company which
\nleases 17 Fokker-28s to Merpati, not the CN-235s.\"<\/p>\n
Informed sources said yesterday that the two private firms
\nbelong to the same owners. The sources named several top
\nexecutives of the two companies, including children of President
\nSoeharto and the Bakrie brothers.<\/p>\n
Haryanto assured that Merpati will net profits if it operates
\nthe CN-235 for at least six-and-a-half hours per day.<\/p>\n
\"If the monthly leasing fee is 1.2 percent of the aircraft's
\nprice, Merpati will gain a profit of Rp 1.86 million per month
\nwith a load factor of 65 percent. If the rate is 1.1 percent or 1
\npercent the profit will reach Rp 34.96 million or Rp 55.88
\nmillion per month respectively.\"<\/p>\n
He said that such calculation is based on just four operating
\nhours per day. \"CN-235-10 is designed for two-hour or two-and-a-
\nhalf-hour non-stop operation, while CN-235-200 is for four-hour
\nnon-stop operation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ridwan Fatarudin said last month as the then Merpati president
\nthat the airline decided not to lease CN-235-200s because the
\nairline's CN-235-10s, which were currently in operation, had been
\nlosing money due to their high operating costs.<\/p>\n
The decision led to controversy over the leasing of the 16 CN-
\n235-200 aircraft, which ended earlier this month with Ridwan's
\nreplacement.<\/p>\n
Merpati figured that it lost Rp 406,000 (US$177) per flight on
\nits Jakarta-Bandung service, which is served eight times a day by
\nfour CN-235-10s. The total loss may reach Rp 861,000 per flight
\nif CN-235-200 is operated for the same route. The airline
\nsuffered total losses of Rp 19.7 billion ($8.6 million) in the
\nJanuary to July period of this year because of the high operating
\ncosts of the CN-235-10s.<\/p>\n
Haryanto confirmed yesterday that Merpati suffered losses in
\nthe last three years.<\/p>\n
\"Merpati's losses reached Rp 39.79 billion and Rp 65.63
\nbillion in 1993 and 1994 respectively. This year the figure is
\nestimated to reach Rp 63.74 billion,\" he said, adding that
\nMerpati must improve its performance after its management is
\nsplit from Garuda early next year.<\/p>\n
He said that Merpati must also work quickly in leasing more
\naircraft, which will arrive next month.<\/p>\n
\"There will be two (used) B-737-200 aircraft, three Twin
\nOtters and several BAe-146s delivered to Indonesia. Garuda also
\noffers two A-300-B4s,\" he said. \"I hope Merpati can negotiate
\ntactfully to lease and operate more aircraft soon because
\nDecember and January will be the peak season.\" (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/merpati-set-to-finalize-talks-on-cn-235-soon-1447893297",
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