Indopasific starts air cargo service

JAKARTA (JP): PT Indopasific Merpati Kargo on Saturday started to provide air cargo service for a number of Asian countries under a franchise agreement with Merpati Nusantara, an airline affiliated to the flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

Indopasific's president, Berthie Bernardus, said at a launching ceremony to mark its initial consignment on Saturday that the company flies cargoes directly to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

He said the company plans to serve other countries in Asia and Europe but it will have to wait for support from the government to obtain landing rights.

"We will use two Boeing-707 airplanes, each with a capacity of 40 tons, for serving the six countries with a tentative schedule of three times a week," Bernardus told The Jakarta Post.

He said the aircraft will depart from airports designated by senders. "This month, for example, an aircraft will transport tuna fish from Manado in North Sulawesi to Japan," he said.

Berthie said that his company needs the government's support for the expansion of its services because landing rights in other countries can be obtained only under agreements between governments.

Muhammad Buang, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR), told the Post on Saturday that the new service is expected to promote exports from eastern provinces of the country.

"I therefore urge the government to support cargo companies in getting landing rights from other countries," he said.

He also suggested that Garuda provide more space for cargo transportation to help increase the country's exports.

Another DPR member told the Post that the government's reluctance to help obtain landing rights for air cargo carriers is partly because it still overprotects Garuda's business.

H.M. Dja'far Sidiq, vice chairman of Commission IV of the House said such protectionism is not in line with the government's aim of gradually liberalizing trade.(fhp)