Sempati Air
Encyclopedia
Sempati Air was an airline
based in Indonesia
. Partially owned by friends and family of President Suharto of Indonesia
, the airline folded due to bankruptcy after his May 1998 resignation. Its IATA
Code has since been reassigned to SpiceJet
.
Code: SG ICAO Code: SSR
Callsign: Spirow was founded in December 1968 under the name PT Sempati Air Transport and began flights in March of the following year using Douglas DC-3
aircraft. In the beginning it did not offer scheduled services, instead it offered transportation for oil company workers, but soon thereafter more DC-3s were purchased and the Fokker F27 "Friendship'
was introduced and scheduled flights to Singapore
, Kuala Lumpur
and Manila
were begun. The name Sempati was taken from Sampati
, a mythical bird in Hindu mythology.
In 1975 a Boeing 707
was bought for flights between Jakarta
and Tokyo
but the route was turned over to Garuda
by the Indonesian government. After 1977 the DC-3s were phased out in favor of mote F27s. Sempati Air could not acquire other type of aircraft because the government placed restrictions on private airlines against buying new equipment and it was not until the mid-to-late 1980s that the Fokker 100 and the Boeing 737-200
were introduced.
Soon the Airbus A300B4
was introduced and regional flights to other points in Southeast Asia and Australia began. Then in 1994 the name was changed to Sempati Air. By 1998 Indonesia was suffering a financial crisis which affected Sempati Air and all the international flights were discontinued. Many aircraft were sold or returned to the lessors but those measures were not enough and by June 1998 Sempati Air was out of business.
Until mid-1998, Sempati Air has flown to Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Mataram, Kupang, Dili, Medan, Padang, Pekanbaru, Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Palangkaraya, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Tarakan, Manado, Palu, Kendari, Makassar, Ambon, Jayapura,Timika, and Perth (Western Australia).
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Partially owned by friends and family of President Suharto of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the airline folded due to bankruptcy after his May 1998 resignation. Its IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
Code has since been reassigned to SpiceJet
SpiceJet
SpiceJet is a low-cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon, India. It began service in May 2005 and by 2008, it was India's second-largest low-cost airline in terms of market share. SpiceJet was voted as the best low-cost airline in South Asia and Central Asia region by Skytrax in...
.
History
Sempati Air, IATAInternational Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
Code: SG ICAO Code: SSR
Callsign: Spirow was founded in December 1968 under the name PT Sempati Air Transport and began flights in March of the following year using Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
aircraft. In the beginning it did not offer scheduled services, instead it offered transportation for oil company workers, but soon thereafter more DC-3s were purchased and the Fokker F27 "Friendship'
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
was introduced and scheduled flights to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
were begun. The name Sempati was taken from Sampati
Sampati
In Hindu theology, Sampati was one of the two sons of Aruṇa and was the brother of Jatayu...
, a mythical bird in Hindu mythology.
In 1975 a Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
was bought for flights between Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
but the route was turned over to Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
by the Indonesian government. After 1977 the DC-3s were phased out in favor of mote F27s. Sempati Air could not acquire other type of aircraft because the government placed restrictions on private airlines against buying new equipment and it was not until the mid-to-late 1980s that the Fokker 100 and the Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
were introduced.
Soon the Airbus A300B4
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
was introduced and regional flights to other points in Southeast Asia and Australia began. Then in 1994 the name was changed to Sempati Air. By 1998 Indonesia was suffering a financial crisis which affected Sempati Air and all the international flights were discontinued. Many aircraft were sold or returned to the lessors but those measures were not enough and by June 1998 Sempati Air was out of business.
Until mid-1998, Sempati Air has flown to Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Mataram, Kupang, Dili, Medan, Padang, Pekanbaru, Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Palangkaraya, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Tarakan, Manado, Palu, Kendari, Makassar, Ambon, Jayapura,Timika, and Perth (Western Australia).
Historical Fleet
| Type | Number |
| Airbus A300B4-203FF Airbus A300 The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS... |
4 |
| Boeing 737-230 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
2 |
| Boeing 737-281 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
6 |
| Boeing 767-300 Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... |
2(In Order) |
| Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made... |
|
| Fokker F100 Fokker F100 The Fokker 100 is a medium size twin-turbofan airliner from the Fokker company. Low operational costs and almost no competition in the 100-seat short-range class made it a best seller when it was introduced in the late 1980s, but decayed due to increasing competition. Production ended in 1997 with... |
7 |
| Fokker F70 | 2 |
| Fokker F27 "Friendship" Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner... |
4 |