Adam Air (incorporated as PT. Adam SkyConnection Airlines) was a privately owned airline based in West Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. It operated scheduled domestic services to over 20 cities and international services to Penang and Singapore. Its main base was Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta.

Although sometimes referred to as a low-cost carrier, it marketed itself as an airline straddled between low-cost and traditional carriers, offering both on-board meal service and low fares, similar to the model adopted by Singapore-based Valuair. Prior to the crash of Flight 574, it was the fastest growing low-cost carrier in Indonesia.

Adam Air was founded in 2002 by Agung Laksono, an Indonesian businessman and the Speaker of Indonesia's House of Representatives, and Sandra Ang. Sandra Ang is from an Indonesian-Chinese family which owned the airline. The airline was named after Sandra Ang's 26-year-old son Adam Suherman, who was then named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the airline. After studying in the United States, Suherman suggested that his family form an airline.

The airline was established in 2002 and began operations on 19 December 2003 with 2 Boeing 737 aircraft leased from GE Commercial Aviation Services.

Adam Air had been involved in talks with multiple private investors, including discussions about the sale of a 20% stake to Qantas, a takeover bid from private equity fund Texas Pacific Group, and a planned initial public offering in Singapore. However, foreign investment interest evaporated with the crash of Flight 574.

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