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THE OPERATION of Super Air Jet, a new airline formed by Rusdi Kirana, is projected to still await the completion of the Level-4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) policy in order to obtain certainty from the demand side.
According to aviation observer Gerry Soedjatman, Super Air Jet has not yet confirmed whether to fly because of the declining demand for air transportation due to PPKM. Moreover, Lion Group has also laid off employees due to the drastic drop in demand due to PPKM.
“I think the Super Air Jet will start flying as soon as PPKM Level 3 or Level 4 is complete,” he said.
Regarding the impact of PPKM on Lion Air, which streamlined its employee structure, aviation observer Arista Atmadjati said this was not a problem from a labor law perspective because many companies had also laid off their employees due to the pandemic. However, this is inversely and unethical with the plan to operate a new airline Super Air Jet.
Furthermore, Arista believes that because Lion Air Group is a private company and is not listed on the stock exchange, it is easier to take corporate actions. Unlike PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk. (GIAA) which is a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) and went public.
The big problem for Lion Air Group, said Arista, is that it can’t actually pay off the hundreds of plane rentals because there are lots of people parked at the airport due to the decrease in the number of flights.
“So it’s better to turn it around and some of it is rented again by airlines in the USA. Instead of worrying about Lion Air, Rusdi made a new airline with an older plane so that the rent is cheap,” said Arista.
He also assessed that Indonesia as an archipelagic country still needs many local airline companies. This is also what Super Air Jet sees and aims for precisely because the potential for low-cost aircraft is very potential. Meanwhile, Super Air Jet is currently preparing plans for an inaugural flight to serve regular passengers, which will be scheduled soon. The Super Air Jet has an IATA IU code.
Now, to answer and accommodate the flight needs of the current generation, the airline will start services to Jakarta via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, then Palembang via Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport. Then, Padang via Minangkabau International Airport.
Not only that, Batam-Hang Nadim International Airport, Medan-Kualanamu International Airport and Pontianak-Supadio International Airport. Super Air Jet will operate with a flight frequency of 1 (one) time per day, which is served round trips. The main focus is to offer a low-cost concept with direct intercity flights on a point-to-point basis in the domestic market and later can expand to international routes. [sources/photo special]
