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Indonesia welcomes new airline into struggling industry
A recovery in air travel could provide a tailwind for Indonesia's new low-cost carrier, Super Air Jet (SAJ), which is entering the market without the debt load burdening its competitors.
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Super Air Jet (SAT) aircraft and crew members are pictured on the tarmac. The company received its air operator’s certificate (AOC) from the Transportation Ministry on June 26. (Super Air Jet YouTube channel/-)
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ndonesia is welcoming Super Air Jet (SAJ), a new low-cost carrier reportedly backed by Lion Air Group, to the market at a time when the aviation industry is working its way out of a slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Transportation Ministry has issued an air operator’s certificate (AOC) for the new airline, allowing SAJ, which currently has three Airbus A320s, to operate aircraft for commercial purposes.
“With the completion of the certification process, Super Air Jet has fulfilled all technical and safety requirements,” the ministry's air transportation director general, Novie Riyanto, said in a press statement on Saturday.
SAJ was established in March 2021. Despite the pandemic, it saw sufficient demand for air travel, especially among millennials, Super Air Jet chief executive Ari Azhari said in a press statement on May 3, as reported by Kompas.
“Super Air Jet is a new privately owned airline […] based in Indonesia and fully funded by local investors,” he said.
According to media reports, Indonesia’s largest airline company, Lion Air Group, is behind Super Air Jet. Ari worked as Lion Air Group’s service general manager in the past.
Lion Air Group reportedly injected Rp 968 billion (US$66.5 million) into SAJ and a new charter flight service, Flyindo Aviasi Nusantara (FAN). Both companies are believed to be controlled by the Kirana family that established Lion Air Group.
