Sutra Airlines not yet registered

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.