Indonesia's Pelita Air launches commercial flights

Pertamina, the Indonesian state oil and gas company, on Thursday launched commercial flights under the brand Pelita Air, with the government pledging affordable domestic service as it aims to steer clear of the mismanagement and debt that has plagued flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. Pelita Air's first commercial flight took off from Jakarta and landed on the resort island of Bali. The airline will also cover the Jakarta-Yogyakarta route. The province, in the heart of Java Island, is another popular tourist destination. The airline is currently operating two Airbus A320s for its commercial flights but is planning to increase the fleet to six aircraft by the end of the year and to 20 by the end of 2023. Established in 1970, Pelita Air has long offered chartered flights, mainly to support Pertamina's oil and gas operations across the archipelago. It is led by President Director Dendy Kurniawan, who left the same position at AirAsia Indonesia earlier this month. State Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir said Pelita Air will focus exclusively on domestic flights, citing the nation's "enormous potential" and pre-COVID data showing that 72% of flights serving Indonesia covered domestic routes. "Indonesia is an archipelagic nation with a population of 273 million," Thohir said during a preflight ceremony. "It's a huge market." He added that by focusing on domestic routes, "Pelita can fly high" and eventually join the ranks of global airlines.<br/>