NEW AIRLINE: Indonesia Airlines CEO says ‘We’re Real – and Ready for Takeoff’
There are plenty of people out there who have ambitions to found an airline. Unfortunately, most of their dreams come to little or nothing. Well, I think we can add another to your list of wannabe airlines. Indonesia Airlines seems to fit the bill with an ambitious owner. He claims to have funding for three aircraft and plans for an exclusively international operation, including flights to Australia. But the airline has no actual authority to fly, and its home government is even questioning its existence. Let me break it down based on articles from Karryon and the Jakarta Globe.
Indonesia Airlines is not to be confused with the now defunct Indonesian Airlines that operated between 2001 and 2007.
Content of this Post:
Airline ambitions
Think Global Airlines, which has recently run four charter flights between the United Kingdom and the USA, but has no future plans. Or Australia’s proposed Koala Airlines, which seems to be just a website and some aircraft design mock-ups. According to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Koala Airlines does not currently have any air operator certification, although the charter airline it purchased, Desert Air Safaris P/L, may.
Not a Hoax
The CEO of a controversial startup carrier claiming the name Indonesia Airlines has hit back at Indonesian government accusations that his airline is a hoax, insisting it is very real, funded, and eyeing a soft launch as soon as July 2025.
Speaking at the Energy Mineral Forum in Jakarta on Monday, 26 May, Indonesia Airlines CEO Iskandar Ismail criticised comments by the Transportation Ministry’s Director General of Civil Aviation, Lukman F. Laisa, who recently dismissed the airline’s existence.
“There’s no follow-up, nothing. It’s a hoax!”
Lukman F. Laisa, 22 May parliamentary hearing
He also noted that the ministry had received no formal licensing applications from the company.
The accusation is denied by the CEO of Indonesia Airlines, Iskander Ismail:
“We’ve been holding regular discussions with ministry staff for two years. It’s laughable to say there’s been no coordination.”
Iskancer Ismail, CEO Indonesia Airlines
Big promises and even bigger investors
Iskandar detailed the airline’s ownership structure, revealing that Singapore-based Calypte Holding Pte Ltd—Indonesia Airlines’ parent company—signed a deal in March to acquire a majority stake in PT Indonesia Airline Holding from a German firm. The deal is worth €46.2 million and backed by a hefty €12.8 billion in funding commitments.
He also claimed investment interest from parties in Australia, China, and Thailand, with an unnamed Australian investor said to have “directly informed the President” of their support.
Taking off in 2025? 2026?
Iskandar claims 80% of the paperwork is ready to be submitted in months. A soft launch is said to be planned for Jakarta in July 2025, with full commercial operations to follow.
Aircraft-wise, the airline claims to have lined up three aircraft from a Japanese lessor, with negotiations underway for four more. Plans for the airline are for a fleet of 20 aircraft. The proposal is for a mix of Airbus A321neo/LR narrowbodies for medium-haul and Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 widebodies for long-haul international flights.
In keeping with the progress of these aspiring airlines, important milestones have been missed. In November 2024, the launch date was missed, with the delays attributed to a holdup of cabin fit-outs. The new likely launch date is late 2025 or early 2026, dependent on supplier readiness. Now, it’s true that supplier pipelines are a challenge for even intemperate airlines at the moment, so this excuse should not be completely dismissed.
Legal threats and political friction
Iskandar hinted at potential over what he termed defamatory remarks from the Civil Aviation chief, claiming the statements triggered legal reviews in both Indonesia and Singapore.
“There are no internal problems. The only obstacle is the government’s negative narrative.”
Iskancer Ismail, CEO Indonesia Airlines
A CEO with a varied career
Iskandar, born in Aceh in 1983, has a varied professional background, ranging from post-tsunami reconstruction work to stints at the state electricity provider PLN and later banking and insurance. After leaving corporate life in 2015, he dabbled in renewable energy before founding Calypte Holding in Singapore in 2022.
Calypte spans renewable energy, agriculture, and aviation sectors, with Indonesia Airlines billed as its flagship aviation venture. It is focused on international-only operations to avoid domestic competition with flag carrier Garuda and budget rivals.
2PAXfly Takeout
Indonesia has a varied track record in the airline industry. With over 13,466 islands and a population of 255 million people, aviation is important to the country. It currently has 22 airlines with flights that carry over 30 passengers. For flights with under 30 passengers, there are 32 airlines. Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier for Indonesia, but some other recognisable names include Lion Air, Batik Air, Citilink, and Indonesia AirAsia, the local subsidiary of the Malaysian-based AirAsia.
For the moment, we will have to wait and see if the soft launch in July goes ahead and what Indonesia Airlines and the Indonesian Transport Ministry say about the rest of 2025.
What did you say?