Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir launched the first Pelita Air flight serving the Jakarta-Bali route, which left from Terminal III of Soekarno-Hatta Airport for I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, on Thursday.
The minister said, the potential for domestic flights in Indonesia is promising. Pelita Air Service, as a subsidiary of SOEs, must focus on becoming one of the backbones for developing the domestic aviation industry.
“This is a huge market potential that must be maximized. We don't want this huge market to become monopolistic market or oligopolistic market. We must apply an equal and prosperous economy to this industry," Thohir said on Thursday.
Pelita must become a part of a new paradigm to nourish the Indonesian aviation industry, focus on the domestic market, and be managed with good corporate governance in a transparent manner, he added.
He also reiterated the importance of integrating SOE tourism holdings in order to ensure maximum service with infrastructures such as airports and integrated domestic flights to encourage economic growth and create job opportunities in the region.
"We hope Pelita can fly high and become a domestic company that soon will compete globally," Thohir said.
On the same occasion, President Director of PT Pelita Air Service (PAS) Dendy Kurniawan informed that so far, PAS has operated charter flights for the presidency, ministries/agencies, and the private sector, especially the national oil and gas industry.
Building on this reputation and experience, PAS has expanded its business by launching commercial flights on the Jakarta-Bali-Jakarta route using Airbus A320-200 aircraft with a capacity of 180 seats.
"Today's first flight will soon be followed by additional frequency flights to many new destinations in Indonesia," Kurniawan said.
The launch of Pelita Air's scheduled regular flights cannot be separated from the support of stakeholders, he added. Kurniawan expressed his gratitude and highest appreciation to the Ministry of Transportation, which issued the airworthiness certificate for the airline, as well as the Ministry of SOEs and PT Pertamina (Persero) as the holding company.
"I ask all related parties to support and develop Pelita Air so that we can continue to make a significant contribution to the national aviation industry," Kurniawan added.
Related news: Pelita Air must consolidate by serving pioneer flights: expert
Related news: Pertamina, Pelita Air develop drones for mining operations
Related news: Bali Airport readies Integrated Air Transport Command Post for Eid
