Merpati operates Airbus A-310

JAKARTA (JP): Merpati Nusantara, a Garuda Indonesia subsidiary, has begun operating a new Airbus A-310 jet, allowing same-day connecting flights between cities in the country's east and regional destinations via Jakarta.

Company spokesman Tondo Widodo said yesterday the new plane, delivered earlier this week, would also fly passengers from Medan in North Sumatra to eastern Indonesian cities quicker and in one day.

Merpati's marketing director, Toto Nursatyo, said the airline wanted to strengthen its services, particularly its domestic feeder routes.

"One of the first two A-310s is operating on domestic routes as Merpati wants to strengthen the network. Merpati has also set Jakarta as its hub for the network in the country's western part and Ujungpandang in the eastern part."

Merpati also operates an A-310 jet between Jakarta and Melbourne in Australia.

The company's fleet includes six F-100s, 22 F-29s, 13 F-27s, 14 CN-235s, five advanced turbo propellers (ATPs) and 11 Cassa- 212s, eight Twin Otters.

The airlines will get its third A-310 and first BAe-146 (Jumbo Lino) plane later this week.

Toto said the new plane would enable Merpati to take passengers anywhere in Indonesia. "That is the advantage, though we must admit that the cost is high."

Merpati is known for its inefficiency because of the high maintenance costs involved in having many types of aircraft.

But Toto said the new fleet would improve Merpati's image as an agent of development in the country's aviation industry.

Merpati has so far served mainly domestic feeder routes and does not have much money.

The government assigned Merpati a development mission which has inhibited the airline because it limits the airline to serving pioneering, uncommercial routes to remote areas.

But in the last few years the government has licensed the airline to fly to Melbourne and Port Hedland in Australia, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Merpati also plans to fly to Taipei from Denpasar this year as its has signed code sharing deal with Taiwan's EVA Air. It will also fly to Hong Kong this year.

Toto said Merpati also wanted to reopen services from Jakarta to Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), Lhokseumawe (Aceh), Surakarta (Central Java) and Batam (Riau).

In some domestic routes, Merpati is competing with Garuda which took over some of Merpati's routes after Garuda became less competitive in the international market. (icn)