Kris Hadiawan: Riau Airlines - The Malay Bridge

Riau Airlines
The Malay Bridge - The Spirit of Riau

Riau Airlines is a regional airline based in Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport, Pekanbaru. Founded in 2002 with the aim to open up and promote air transportation in Riau.

Riau Airline history

The airline was established on March 12, 2002 and started operations in December 2002. This is the only commercial airline with headquarters in Indonesia outside Jakarta. Riau Airlines is also a commercial airline only owned by local governments. Shares of airline is majority owned by the governments of the provinces of Riau and several other provinces such as Lampung, Bangka Belitung and Bengkulu.

Previously established to connect the cities of the province of Riau has many pioneering airport, until recently has expanded its operations in order to connect all areas major cities on the island of Sumatra. Also be extended to operate international flights which point to Malaysia.

Riau Airlines (RAL) increased its class to airline first class airline with ten other by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Government owned airline flight Riau Province has risen from category II to category I, this makes the Riau Air Lines parallel to the same class airline Garuda Air Lines.

Director General of Civil Aviation Department said Harry Bakti, assessments carried out over 21 airline holder Air Operator Certificate (AOC) AOC holders 121 and 24 135. AOC holders are airlines with 121 aircraft over 30 seats capacity. AOC holders are airlines with 135 aircraft under 30 seats.

To increase the class of each airline based on results of 20 criteria assessed. Among other things, the follow-up results of the audit, supervision, inspection ramp checks, personnel management, and accident frequency. Category I is considered to meet all your airline safety and security aspects with a value of more than 161.

Category II is the airline with a value of 120-161. While Category III is the airline with a value of less than 120 so its AOC (operating license) automatically revoked.

From the Department of Transportation data, the nine airlines entering the second category is Scheduled passenger and cargo airlines. Namely, Tri MG Intra Asia Airlines (cargo), Travel Express Aviation Services (passenger), Kalstar (passenger), Cardig (cargo), Republic Express Airlines (cargo), Manunggal Air Service (freight), Kartika Airlines (passenger), Megantara (cargo), and Linus (passengers).

With the achievement of Riau Air Lines, the society of Riau layak proud for having one of the first-class airline.

Riau Airlines flight routes

* Domestic Routes :

o Pekanbaru Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport
o Jakarta, Soekarno Hatta Airport
o Jakarta Halim Airport Perdanakusuma
o Dumai Pinang Kampai Airport
o Jambi Sultan Thaha Airport
o Natuna Ranai Airport
o Palembang, Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport
o Tanjung Pinang, Kijang Airport
o Batam, Hang Nadim Airport
o Bandar Lampung, Radin Inten II Airport
o Louth, Pangkal Pinang Airport
o Tanjung Pandan
o Matak
o Melaka, Batu Soak Airport
o Medan Polonia Airport
o Banjarmasin
o Balikpapan
o Kotabaru
o Berau
o Bengkulu, Fatmawati Airport
o Banda Aceh, Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport
o Simelue Island, Airport Sinabang
o Meulaboh
o Kutacane
o Takengon Rembele Airport
o Padang, Minangkabau International Airport
o Bandar Lampung
o Lubuk Linggau

* Internasional Routes :

o Ipoh, Malaysia - Sultan Azlan Shah Airport
o Malaka, Malaysia - Batu Berendam Airport

Aircraft Fleet

Fokker 50