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Founded | 2002 | ||||||
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Ceased operations | 31 January 2013 | ||||||
Hubs | Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Juanda International Airport | ||||||
Focus cities | Ngurah Rai International Airport | ||||||
Fleet size | 34 | ||||||
Destinations | 48 [6 International, 42 Domestic] | ||||||
Company slogan | Trust Us To Fly | ||||||
Headquarters | Jakarta, Indonesia | ||||||
Key people | Yudiawan Tansari (President Director) | ||||||
Website | Batavia Air |
PT. Metro Batavia, operating as Batavia Air, was an airline based in Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia. Until January 31, 2013, the airline operated domestic flights to around 42 destinations and several nearby regional international destinations, and Saudi Arabia. Its main base was Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta. Batavia Air was listed in category 1 on the Indonesian Civil Aviation Authority airline safety rating. On January 31, 2013, at 12:00 local time, Batavia Air ceased operations after the Central Jakarta Regional Court granted a bankruptcy appeal by ILFC, the international aircraft lessor, saying that the airline owed US$4,68 million in debts, a debt that Batavia Air failed to repay after a series of financial difficulties.
The airline obtained an aviation license in 1999, established trial operations in 2001, and started operations in January 2002. Originally known as Metro Batavia, it started operations with a wet-leased Fokker F28 aircraft from Sempati Air. Batavia Air launched scheduled services from Jakarta to Pontianak in January 2002. The airline is owned by PT Metro Batavia. Since June 2010 the airline has been taken off the list of banned carriers from flying into EU airspace, along with Indonesia AirAsia.
On July 26, 2012, AirAsia and Batavia Air issued a joint statement revealing an intention to proceed with a buy out of the airline by Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd for $80 million.
The planned buy out was to be in two stages; first, AirAsia was to buy 76.95% shares in a partnership with Fersindo Nusaperkasa, its Indonesian business unit operating Indonesia AirAsia. By 2013, AirAsia was to acquire the remaining 23.05% held by other shareholders.
Indonesian trade laws disallow majority ownership by foreign entities in local businesses but AirAsia through its sister company Fersindo Nusaperkasa planned to circumvent that law to develop a further expansion of its foothold in Indonesia's domestic market. The acquisition was anticipated to create controversy with Indonesian authorities at the time as domestic laws in Indonesia do not permit majority ownership in local airline industry by foreign nationals. That controversy did arise within days of the announcement.