Sempati thinks twice before buying N-250s<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Sempati Air, the biggest private scheduled
\nairline in Indonesia, will reconsider its plan to procure N-250
\nplanes from PT IPTN because the aircraft manufacturer in Bandung
\nhas never announced a fixed price for the planes.<\/p>\n
Sempati's president, Hasan A. Soedjono, told reporters
\nyesterday that his airline actually had signed a letter of intent
\nto buy 16 N-250s.<\/p>\n
"It's a preliminary agreement which does not mean that Sempati
\nis obliged to buy the aircraft," he said.<\/p>\n
Three domestic airlines, Merpati Nusantara, a subsidiary of
\nGaruda Indonesia, Bouraq Airlines and Sempati signed agreements
\nwith IPTN for the procurement of a number of 154 N-250s last
\nNovember, when the prototype of the aircraft was officially
\nintroduced. Three other firms, including those from the United
\nstates and Europe, have also expressed interest in purchasing
\nmore than 30 similar aircraft.<\/p>\n
IPTN's president, B.J Habibie, who is also the State Minister
\nof Research and Technology, said that the aircraft will cost
\nabout US$13.5 million each.<\/p>\n
"There should be a series of trial operations of the N-250,
\nwhich will influence its price. Since the fixed price has not
\nbeen set, its hard for airline companies to arrange their fleet
\nplans," Hasan said.<\/p>\n
N-250 has a potential minimum flying speed of 300 knots, or
\n556 kilometers per hour, and a maximum speed of 330 knots, or 612
\nkilometers per hour, for a distance of 1,482 kilometers.<\/p>\n
Three N-250 are scheduled to be launched later this year.<\/p>\n
The government has poured $1.6 billion into IPTN since its
\nbirth in 1976. The firm spent more than $500 million to develop
\nthe N-250, including $185 million derived from the interest of
\nreforestation funds.<\/p>\n
The operation of the initial airplanes will be used to obtain
\nair certificates from the Directorate General of Air
\nTransportation in July 1997 and from the Federal Aviation Agency
\nof the United States in December 1997. N-250 will have its maiden
\nflight in August 1995, when Indonesia celebrates the 50th
\nanniversary of its independence. Its commercial production is
\nexpected to start in late 1997.<\/p>\n
Promotion<\/p>\n
Hasan also stressed that IPTN has to guarantee the technology
\nof the aircraft to boost its sales.<\/p>\n
"Furthermore, the government will have to reroute the
\noperation of other aircraft as soon as N-250 starts to serve
\ncertain routes to avoid competition," he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sempati's vice president for marketing, Permadi
\nWiratanuningrat, said that his company will launch between March
\n20 and June 14 a special program called spectacular sandiwara, a
\nlucky draw offering 50 percent discount vouchers to a maximum of
\nfour winners on each of Sempati's flights.<\/p>\n
"Sempati has a total of 41,000 vouchers. People who win the
\ndraw can give their vouchers to others. Each voucher is valid
\nuntil late this year," he said.<\/p>\n
He also said that starting on April 1, people who buy business
\nclass tickets for Jakarta-Batam-Jakarta or Jakarta-Batam-
\nSingapore-Jakarta routes or from other cities to Batam with a
\nticket worth at least Rp 668,000 will have a complimentary one
\nnight stay at the Melia Panorama hotel in Batam.<\/p>\n
Sempati Air, which currently operates five Fokker-27s, seven
\nFokker 100s, six Boeing 737-200s and three Airbus 300-B4s, has
\nrecently received one Fokker-70 aircraft. The airline ordered six
\nFokker 70 aircraft from the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker
\nAircraft Services.(icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sempati-thinks-twice-before-buying-n-250s-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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