Garuda to sell 11 DC-9s to American company

JAKARTA (JP): Garuda Indonesia will sell 11 DC-9s to an American company, a new executive of the national air carrier says.

"Several American companies have bid for the used DC-9s," Darmadi, the company's new operation director told reporters yesterday.

Garuda originally planned to sell 30 aircraft, including nine Airbus B4s, five DC-9s and 16 Fokker-28s. Six of the 11 DC-9s are now operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Garuda's sister company.

Bidders

"We will announce later this month which aircraft will be sold and who are the buyers. There were 40 bidders for the aircraft but they have been short listed to eight companies, " he said, adding that an American company has been selected as the winning bidder for the 11 DC-9s.

He declined to identify the American buyer.

The air carrier has sold several aging planes to its sister company Merpati, including six DC-9s and 21 Fokker F-28s.

Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto yesterday installed Darmadi as the new director of operations of Garuda to replace Jasir Ismail and 20 other high officials at his ministry.(icn)