NEW AIRLINE: Pacific Royale Receives Route Licences Ahead of Launch

Indonesian start-up Pacific Royale is on track to inaugurate flights from the end of March, one month later than originally planned, after local authorities approved traffic licences for the independent venture to serve 81 different points within the archipelago as well as a number of overseas destinations.

As we reported last month the new entrant is majority controlled by Indonesian businesswoman Gunarni Gunawan – also majority shareholder of marketing company Travel Ventures International Express – with the remaining interest controlled by Indian investors. It was awarded its licence in November 2011 and plans to launch flights from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport initially with two Airbus A320s and two Fokker 50 turboprops just as soon as its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) has been awarded.

According to Indonesian local newspapers the carrier has now been awarded licences to serve the big cities in Indonesia as well as international destinations such as Mumbai, India; Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Singapore. The airline’s network will be dominated by domestic routes with its Fokker 50 turboprops being used to feed traffic into its international network.

A senior executive of the carrier has confirmed that mini bases will be established at Surabaya, East Java; and Batam, Riau; where links to cities such as Banyuwangi and Madiun, East Java; Pekanbaru and Natuna; Riau; and Jambi will be operated. International flights will include services from Surabaya to Hong Kong and Singapore; Badung to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and between Jakarta and Mumbai.

To meet the Indonesian Transport Ministry’s revised operating requirements that every local scheduled carrier should have a fleet of at least ten aircraft otherwise it could face having its operating certificate revoked from the end of this year, Pacific Royale will add three more Fokker 50s and two further A320s to its fleet in the second quarter with another aircraft, possibly a widebodied A330 following later in the year.

The growth of the aviation industry in Indonesia has been impressive and their remains a large untapped potential. The number of domestic air passengers in Indonesia jumped to 38.3 million in the first nine months of this year, while the number of international air travelers rose 15 per cent to 8.1 million, according to Indonesian Central Statistics Agency data.