Merpati Airlines announced Wednesday that the company will lease seven ATR-72
aircraft in the first quarter of 2010, costing US$80,000- $90,000 each per
month, and that it planned to lease a total of 22 planes by 2011.
“We will start with 7 planes in the first quarter of 2010. I hope by the
beginning of 2011 we can lease all of the 22 planes,” Merpati president director
Bambang Bakti told reporters at the Office of the State Ministry for State Enterprises
in Jakarta.
He said the company had allocated a budget for leasing the planes, which are
from France,
of about Rp 1 billion ($104,000) per aircraft per month.
“We have prepared Rp 3-5 billion as an additional budget per aircraft for the training
of pilots and co-pilots, for technicians, stewardesses, maintenance and flying
approval,” Bambang said.
Merpati is aiming to increase its routes from 150 to 200 routes using the new
armada and to create a hub, which will provide flying services to remote areas.
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