Indonesia’s Super Air Jet eyes LCC model with A320s

Super Air Jet is an Indonesian start-up planning to launch in “the near future” with a fleet of 180-seat A320-200s operating domestic routes initially, Chief Executive Ari Azhari told Reuters in a statement. The start-up is linked to Lion Air Group, although the specific nature of the relationship remains unclear. The statement was provided to the newswire by the holding company, while Azhari was the general manager of Lion Air Group. However, the holding did not respond to questions regarding its relationship to Super Air Jet. Azhari said the start-up would operate as a low-cost carrier, targeting Indonesian millennials who have shown a strong inclination for travel. He underlined that the country’s large domestic market was already open and expected it to rebound quickly in the coming months. Super Air Jet’s exact launch timeline remains uncertain as the carrier has yet to complete certification. Going forward, it also plans to expand on international routes. Although Azhari did not provide any information concerning the start-up’s fleet beyond the type, Skyliner Aviation reported that its first aircraft would be PK-SAJ (msn 4488). The 10.5-year-old ex-IndiGo Airlines narrowbody owned by CDB Aviation was reportedly ferried from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta (where it had been undergoing maintenance since mid-February 2021) via Kuala Lumpur Int’l to Batam on April 22, 2021. Lion Air Group owns three Indonesian airlines: low-cost carrier Lion Air with a fleet of 131 Boeing narrowbodies (including ten still-grounded B737-8s), six A330-300s, and six A330-900s; full-service carrier Batik Air with 45 Airbus narrowbodies (including one A320-200N) and thirty-one B737s; and regional specialist Wings Air (Indonesia) with 68 Avions de Transport Régional turboprops. The group also owns outfits in Malaysia (Malindo Air) and Thailand (Thai Lion Air), neither of which operate Airbus aircraft.