ID :
15818
Thu, 08/14/2008 - 09:13
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/15818
The shortlink copeid
FATE OF MERPATI AIRLINES IN MEDAN STILL UNDECIDED
Medan, Aug 13 (ANTARA) - The fate of Merpati Nusanatra Airlines (MNA) in Medan was still uncertain, because there was no information from the company's management on the matter.
"Either continue operations, or not, there is no information about it from Merpati, as it is being discussed by the management of that airline company in Jakarta," the airlines' district manager in Medan, Reynold Simatupang, said here on Wednesday.
According to him, at present his fleet in Medan was still covering four routes with 41 employees, including 32 full-time workers.
The flight routes covered by Merpati are the Medan-Gunung Sitoli route (twice a day), the Medan-Sibolga route (three times a week), Medan-Meulaboh route (twice a week), and the Medan-Sinabang route (twice a week), by CN 235 aircraft each having a capacity for 35 passengers, he said.
Simatupang was optimistic that Merpati would still be operating in Medan, as the airline business in Sumatra island was still lucrative, although the flight routes were mainly over Indonesia's eastern regions.
"In view of the opportunities, we remain optimistic that Merpati will not stop operating in Medan and in other regions of Sumatra," he said.
To prevent further losses, the government had to offer an early retirement to 1,300 employees and providing them a total of Rp223 billion, which would be taken from the state's investment (PMN) totaling Rp350 billion.
This airline company will focus its business operations on flight routes in the eastern regions of the country by operating propeller-driven aircraft in cooperation with local administrations.
"Either continue operations, or not, there is no information about it from Merpati, as it is being discussed by the management of that airline company in Jakarta," the airlines' district manager in Medan, Reynold Simatupang, said here on Wednesday.
According to him, at present his fleet in Medan was still covering four routes with 41 employees, including 32 full-time workers.
The flight routes covered by Merpati are the Medan-Gunung Sitoli route (twice a day), the Medan-Sibolga route (three times a week), Medan-Meulaboh route (twice a week), and the Medan-Sinabang route (twice a week), by CN 235 aircraft each having a capacity for 35 passengers, he said.
Simatupang was optimistic that Merpati would still be operating in Medan, as the airline business in Sumatra island was still lucrative, although the flight routes were mainly over Indonesia's eastern regions.
"In view of the opportunities, we remain optimistic that Merpati will not stop operating in Medan and in other regions of Sumatra," he said.
To prevent further losses, the government had to offer an early retirement to 1,300 employees and providing them a total of Rp223 billion, which would be taken from the state's investment (PMN) totaling Rp350 billion.
This airline company will focus its business operations on flight routes in the eastern regions of the country by operating propeller-driven aircraft in cooperation with local administrations.
