TransNusa (8B, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) is planning to restart scheduled operations in July 2022, using three A320-200Ns, Managing Director Bayu Sutanto told Smart Aviation Asia-Pacific.
"We may get our AOC around early June and launch our commercial flights in early July, as we need one month of preparations, such as marketing, etc.," Bayu said.
The carrier took delivery of its first A320neo, PK-TLA (msn 9440), in late 2021 and started operating proving flights around Indonesia in early February 2022. Bayu said a second aircraft of the type is slated to arrive at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta airport on May 17 and the third one a week later.
A source at the carrier told the Bloomberg news agency that TransNusa is planning to add a further three A320neo eventually.
While the carrier has yet to disclose its planned network, its proving flights touched the main Indonesian metro areas, such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta International, Surabaya, Kupang, and Denpasar.
TransNusa is minority-owned by the China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC) through Linkasia Airlines Group Limited (formerly known as Aviation Synergy Limited), in which the lessor owns a 72.82% stake. As a part of the investment deal, TransNusa committed to taking thirty C909s. Even though photos of a single COMAC regional jet in the Indonesian carrier's livery emerged earlier this year, TransNusa has not alluded to any plans to add the type.
The carrier, which was once a predominantly ATR - Avions de Transport Régional operator, has been inactive since September 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on demand in Indonesia.