The MA-60 plane had sophisticated spare parts made in the US and Europe."Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA) said on Wednesday it suffered Rp100 billion in losses after its MA-60 plane skidded off runway at El Tari Airport in the East Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Kupang on Monday.
"The management of Merpati suffers a loss of US$10 million to US$20 million or around Rp100 billion because of the accident," Merpati President Director Rudy Setyopurnomo said here on Wednesday.
Merpati has insured all passengers of the plane against the accident, he said.
He said the incident was something unavoidable, claiming that the MA-60 was a tough and sophisticated plane assembled in China with all of its spare parts made in the US and Europe.
"The MA-60 plane had sophisticated spare parts made in the US and Europe. China only assembled it," he said.
"No aircraft maker wants its planes to meet accident and no pilot wants to operate a plane which can easily crash. So the accident was indeed beyond human control," he said.
The Merpati MA-60 plane which carried 46 passengers and four crew members skidded off runway while landing at the airport on Monday at 09.52 a.m. local time.
The accident claimed no casualties but injured 20 people. Five of the injured, including the captain pilot are being treated at WZ Yohanes General Hospital in Kupang for serious injuries.
(Reporting by Yohanes Adrianus/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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