Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State-owned oil/gas firm PT Pertamina has terminated its aviation turbine fuel (Avtur) supply to Merpati Airlines at Juanda and Hasanuddin aiports as of 00:00 October 15, 2001, Merpati`s president director said.

"Consequently, we have to stop our flight operations from and to Surabaya`s Juanda and Ujung Pandang`s Hasanuddin`s airports until an unspecified time," Merpati President Director Capt Sardjono Jhony told the press here on Saturday.

Marpati has imposed a limited termination of its Avtur supply to Marpati because the state-owned airlines had yet to settled its obligation to pay for the avtur to Pertamina.

"Based on the Pertamina letter, the balance of our unpaid aircraft fuels for the August 27, 2011 - October 13, 2011 period amounts to Rp2.7 billion and US95.6 thousands," the Merpati president director said.

Sardjono admitted that the problem had happened as a result of the fact that Merpati had been in financial troubles in the last several years and at present it was waiting for the disbursement of the government`s financial assistance.

He said that actually, we have agreed to settle the debts during a meeting on February 12, 2011 with Pertamina and the Asset Guarantor Company (PPA) which was led by the state-owned enterprises (BUMN) minister.

The results of hour meeting on August 18, 2011 concluded that Marpati`s accumulative debts amounting to Rp270 billion plus an avtur obligation would get payment priority when the government`s capital participation worth Rp561 billion was disbursed.

"This means that institutionally, Marpati`s obligation to Pertimina is guaranteed," he said.
(Uu.A014/HAJM/H-YH)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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