Garuda Ready to Take Over Merpati's Routes

Tangerang, Banten, Feb 10 (Antara) - The president director of publicly listed PT Garuda Indonesia, Emirsyah Satar, has expressed readiness to take over the routes of Merpati Nusantara Airlines. "If we can take them we will do it. But it's only the routes (not others). We however have not yet known Merpati's routes. Certainly if they can be served by ATR or our planes we will serve them," he said after a press conference on "Garuda's Financial Performance Report" at the office of the state-owned company in Tangerang in the Banten province on Monday. Emir said Garuda Indonesia would not serve Merpati's routes with small aircraft or feeder aircraft. "Merpati has smaller aircraft but Garuda does not," he said. Emir however did not give any confirmation if Garuda that has 3.6 percent shares in Merpati, which is also a state-owned company would take over Merpati or not. "Garuda is a public company and so any corporate action must be aimed at increasing Garuda's value. Because we are a public company we have to be open. Until now we have not taken any action. We also have not been offered to," he said. PT Citilink, Garuda's subsidiary, meanwhile has already applied to the ministry of transportation for taking over Merpati's routes. Its president director Arif Wibowo said his company wished to take over Merpati's routes in the eastern region. "We have already sent an application for it to the ministry of transportation. But we cannot take over the routes that have so far been served by propeller aircraft. So, we will only apply for routes in the eastern region that Citilink has not yet served," he said. "I wish to serve eastern routes like the one to Papua. In short routes that have their basis in Makassar (South Sulawesi). I cannot as yet declare them yet," he said. Merpati has suffered a deficit due to its debts reaching Rp6.7 trillion and has been forced to close most of its routes. (*)