0 Merpati shows most progress, says Ministry

Domestic carriers showed service improvement after recording better on-time performance (OTP) throughout last year, an indication that the regulation requiring airlines to compensate passengers for delays had been effective, the ministry says. Transportation Ministry air transportation director Djoko Murjatmodjo said that the biggest improvement was made by state-run PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (Merpati). Its OTP increased from 66.31 percent in 2011 to 69.76 percent in 2012. 

“We are delighted that Merpati has improved its service and we really appreciate all the airline’s efforts to provide better service. We encourage them to continue improving,” Djoko said in Jakarta on Thursday. In 2011, the carrier received “a red report” from the ministry after their on-time performance dropped from 72.36 percent in 2010 to 66.31 percent. An airline would be categorized as performing poorly if their OTP was below 70 percent. “But, we did not summon Merpati because its OTP is almost 70 percent and we continue to see their service improve,” he said. 

As of Jan. 1 last year, the ministry regulation No. 77/2011 on airline responsibility was enforced, requiring every airline to compensate each passenger Rp 300,000 (US$30.9) for a four-hour delayed flight. Batavia Air and budget carrier Citilink Indonesia were among airlines that had to compensate its customers last year. The regulation also requires the airlines to pay passengers Rp 150,000 ($15.45) if they re-route flights to other destinations, and that they should make all the necessary arrangements to get passengers to their original destination. 

Flight cancellations must be announced seven days prior to a flight and passengers will receive a full refund, according to the regulation. If a flight is cancelled within seven days of departure, the airline must compensate passengers equal to the value of the ticket on top of the full refund. Privately owned mid-service Batavia Air, which recently halted operations following bankruptcy, came in second place after recording a 71.98 percent OTP last year, up from 70.60 percent in 2011. 

Another mid-service carrier, Sriwijaya Air, ranked third for its OTP improvement, rising slightly from 78.87 percent to 79.77 percent last year. National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia recorded an average 84.96 percent OTP throughout 2012, a slight decrease from 85.46 percent in 2011. However, this figure was high enough for Garuda to be named the best performer last year. Djoko said that Garuda’s highest performance was recorded in January when the airline’s OTP reached 90.57 percent. 

An airline would be categorized “excellent” when its OTP reached more than 90 percent. Wings Air, the feeder of the country’s largest low cost carrier Lion Air, was the second best performer with 80.77 percent on-time performance, far better than its parent company whose OTP stood at 73.95 percent.

source : the jakarta post