Sutra Airlines not yet registered
Apriadi Gunawan and Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Medan
Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar said on Friday he had never authorized Sutra Airlines, owned by the province of North Sumatra, to commence operations as it had yet to obtain a license.
Agum, however, supported the province's bid to set up an air service as it would accelerate economic growth in remote areas that faced transportation problems.
He was responding to reports that he launched Sutra Airlines on Monday.
"Who has launched the airline? I just officiated at the renaming of the airport there and they were having a trial flight, not a commercial one as the operating license for the airline is still being processed," he said.
The airport was renamed Ferdinand Lumban Tobing Airport after having been called Pinangsori Airport for many years.
Senior figures in the provincial legislative council have urged North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin to suspend the operation of the airline pending the issuance of a license from the central government.
Deputy council speaker Serta Ginting said the provincial administration was running an illegal business by starting commercial flights without holding a proper license.
Separately, Governor Rizal admitted that the airline was using the license belonging to Malaysia-based charter airline company PT Global Servindo, which owned the aircraft being used.
He added that he was still trying to get a license and that there had been no objections from the transportation ministry to its issuance.
"The Ministry of Transportation is not concerned about the operation of Sutra Airlines although it does not have a license as we have asked for a dispensation. While waiting for the license, Sutra Airlines can operate commercial flights as long as the money is available," Rizal said.
The company uses 40-seat Fokker-27 planes chartered from Kuala Lumpur-based Rabin Global Air Servindo. There are two flights daily connecting Tapanuli's Ferdinand Lumban Tobing Airport and Medan.
"The people in isolated and remote areas on the province's western coast do not care who runs the airline. All they care about is that there are commercial flights available," Rizal said.
He added that the North Sumatra provincial administration and the stakeholders, seven regencies located along the province's west coast, had agreed that if PT Global wanted to operate commercial flights, it should use the name Sutra Airlines.
The airline was established by Central, North and South Tapanuli, Mandailing Natal, Padang Sidempuan, Nias and Sibolga regencies, with each committing itself to investing Rp 3.5 billion each year for operational expenditure over a two-year period.
According to Law No. 15/1992, an aircraft flying from or into the country should have a license issued by the government. A violation of this law carries a maximum jail term of five years and a fine of Rp 60 million.