NAM Air (IN, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) could be equipped with a fleet of new turboprop aircraft with parent Sriwijaya Air (SJ, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) reportedly in talks with ATR - Avions de Transport Régional (EVX, Toulouse Blagnac) and Bombardier Aerospace (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) over a possible order of between twenty and thirty aircraft. In its report, CAPA says the ATR 72-600 and Dash 8-400 are currently being studied with an order likely to be placed in the coming months.
Sriwijaya is planning to use the new aircraft to allow Nam to carve out a niche in the point-to-point domestic Indonesian market plying routes which are not currently served. As such, which type is ordered will have a significant impact on Nam's business model. Should the Dash 8-400 be chosen, Nam will operate longer secondary routes, taking advantage of the Canadian prop's speed and range, while if the ATR72-600 is chosen, Nam will focus on shorter routes.
Deliveries could begin by the end of this year with leasing firms expected to play a role in fulfilling the order.
Since its founding in 2013, Nam has operated a fleet of two B737-500s on thin, under-served domestic routes. The arrival of the turboprops is also expected to better define Nam's role within the realm of the Sriwijaya domain, which has been largely hazy since Nam's launch in 2013.
