Merpati's fleet problems

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said yesterday Merpati Nusantara Airlines could return the five Advance Turbo Prop (ATP) planes to British Aerospace even though their lease contract would expire only in 1996.

"But Merpati should first ensure that its 14 CN-235 planes can operate at full capacity," Dhanutirto was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

Merpati complained recently that only two of the five ATP planes could be operated to due lack of spare parts.

The five ATPs were leased by Merpati pending the delivery of 14 CN-235 planes by the state-owned IPTN aerospace company in Bandung.

But the minister confirmed yesterday that the CN-235s could neither operate optimally due to lack of spareparts.

According to the director general of civil aviation Zainudin Sikado, only seven of the 14 CN-235 light airplanes have been active and the other seven had to be grounded due to lack of spareparts.(vin)