TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A special staffer to the SOE Minister Erick Thohir, Arya Sinulingga, clarified the government’s plan to merge three state-owned airlines, namely Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, and Pelita Air. He rebutted that there was such a plan. “No [plan for it],” he told Tempo via a short text, Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

He also said no when asked if there would be a merger and talked about holding companies.

“The position of Citilink remains as it is now. The position of Pelita is being studied as to where it will be,” Arya claimed. For the record, Citilink is a subsidiary of flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia.

When asked if Pelita Air will be under Garuda, Arya emphasized that this is still being studied.

Questions about the merger of Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, and Pelita Air arose after the SOE Minister stated earlier that the government was seeking to merge the three airlines in a bid to reduce national logistics costs and the gap number of planes.

Minister Erick Thohir claimed that he was determined to suppress the country's logistics costs in order to facilitate the business sector. Efficiency, he added, continues to be the main agenda of state-owned enterprises under his leadership.

AMELIA RAHIMA SARI

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