MNA operates cargo plane

MNA operates cargo plane

JAKARTA (JP): Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA), a subsidiary
of Garuda Indonesia, will start operating a cargo plane this
month.

Merpati's spokesman, Benny Achmad, told The Jakarta Post here
on Saturday that a Boeing 707 will serve tuna cargoes bound for
Asia-Pacific destinations, including Japan.

Based on Government Regulation No. 10/1978, Merpati is allowed
to offer both commercial and cargo flight services.

Achmad said that the cargo service will be operated in
cooperation with PT Indopasific Merpati Cargo, a joint venture
between Indonesian and Australian companies, which will manage
marketing.

Merpati sent its cargo plane, which has a capacity of 40 tons,
on a trial run last Thursday. The flight transported Australian
relief aid for Rwandans.

Merpati currently operates 90 aircraft, including five
advanced turbo propellers (ATPs), 11 Cassa-212s, 10 Twin Otters,
13 Fokker-27s, three Fokker-100s, 14 CN-235s, six DC-9s and 28 F-
28s. (icn)