Jakarta

INDONESIAN low-cost start-up airline Super Air Jet aims to begin flying soon with a business model focused on tech-obsessed millennials with a propensity to travel, the carrier's chief executive, Ari Azhari, said on Monday.

Industry sources said the airline has links to Indonesia's biggest airline group, Lion Air Group, though the nature of any ownership overlap is unknown.

Mr Azhari had been the general manager of Lion Air Group and the statement on Super Air Jet's launch was provided to Reuters by Lion Air's spokesman. The spokesman did not respond to questions on its links to Lion Air.

Super Air Jet, which is in the process of obtaining a licence to fly, will start with 180-seat Airbus SE A320 planes focused on domestic routes before a later international expansion, Mr Azhari said in a statement.

"Super Air Jet was founded on the basis of optimism that market opportunities especially for domestic flights in Indonesia still exist and are wide open," he said. "There is very strong demand from the community for air travel today, especially from millennials."

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He did not provide further details on how the brand would be distinguished from Lion Air, also a low-cost carrier.

Lion Air, which is privately owned, has a portfolio of Indonesian brands, including full-service carrier Batik Air and regional airline Wings Air.

Super Air Jet said its inaugural flight was scheduled for the "near future".

A spokeswoman for Indonesia's transport ministry said there were still some processes to complete before a licence would be issued and it was unclear whether that would occur by the end of the first half.

Independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie said that Super Air Jet was able to take advantage of cheap lease rates because the pandemic made it harder for lessors to place planes when leases expired.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, is currently the world's sixth largest aviation market based on capacity, according to data firm OAG. REUTERS