Indonesia’s Sama Sama Seaplanes eyes 1Q23 launch

Sama Sama Seaplanes hopes to launch charter flights in Indonesia using a fleet of Cessna (single turboprop) C208EX Grand Caravan amphibians in the first quarter of 2023, initially as a virtual carrier using the Premiair (Indonesia) AOC, founder Andre Hugo told Smart Aviation-Asia Pacific.

“We are planning to be the first seaplane operator in west Sumatra, with flights to Mentawai Island and are looking to expand our markets to other destinations such as Lombok, Komodo and Raja Ampat Islands. We are currently in the process of registering our water base with the Indonesian civil aviation authority (Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Udara – DJPU) and are awaiting its instructions,” he said.

He added that his idea has been gaining momentum over the past 18 months, borne out of the realisation that many of Indonesia’s islands are difficult to access. Sama Sama Seaplanes is considering partnering with resorts in the early stages of its operations and hopes to garner support from local authorities, as it would open new regions up to premium tourism.

Hugo told ch-aviation that Premiair would also be supporting Sama Sama Seaplanes with maintenance, handling, and waterdrome operation.

The start-up plans to order its first C208EX amphibian directly from Textron Aviation in June 2022 which may be followed by another three units of the type. It is simultaneously exploring the possibility of converting Premiair’s C208B into an amphibian.

Premiair currently holds a Part 135 charter Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and operates a fleet of Embraer Executive Jets aircraft (E145s, Lineage 1000, and Legacy 650) in addition to the C208B, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. The company is also a Fixed Base Operator at Jakarta Halim airport and owns an in-house maintenance and aviation advisory companies.