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number of senior employees of the ailing state-owned PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines resigned on Tuesday after an internal row led to the ousting of president director Capt. Sardjono Jhony Tjitrokusumo.

“Some senior vice presidents and managers have resigned from their positions and we respect their decision to leave Merpati,” operational director Capt. Asep Ekanugraha told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He refused to reveal the names of the employees who quit, saying that the employees handed their resignation letters directly to the newly appointed acting president director Rudy Setyopurnomo at Merpati’s office.

Asep said that the resignation of the employees would disrupt the airline’s operational activities for some time. However, he remained positive that suitable replacements would be found to fill the vacant positions.

“We have enough manpower to replace them, while at the same time we are looking for new people to fill the positions,” he said.

He also admitted that he was afraid more employees would leave Merpati because of current tensions inside the company.

Separately, Merpati chief pilot and acting coordinator Capt. Eman Supriatman, who joined the airline in 1978, said that he was about to resign from the company.

“I can’t work with someone who doesn’t understand how to develop an airline company,” Eman said, referring to Rudy.

Rudy, the airline’s chief commissioner for the past six weeks, was formerly president of PT Indonesian Airlines Aviapatria, a private carrier launched in 2001, before the Transportation Ministry revoked its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in 2007 following bankruptcy.

Eman said that Rudy was installed as the new president director because of his close relations with State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan.

“Other pilots and cabin crew members will resign soon,” he added.

Dahlan was not available to comment on his connection to the newly appointed Merpati chief.

Presently, the troubled state-owned company has 380 pilots and 400 cabin crew members on 33 aircraft.

The airline suffered losses of up to Rp 251 billion (US$27.3 million) in the first quarter of this year, up from Rp 106 billion ($11.44million) in the same period last year.

The airline received a Rp 561 billion loan from the State Asset Management Company (PPA) on Dec. 30, 2011, to help pay off its debts. (nfo)