Indonesia's Sriwijaya flew old planes and neglected routes to become No.3 carrier

FILE PHOTO: A Sriwijaya Air plane loads passengers at Denpassar international airport in Bali March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White

SYDNEY/JAKARTA (Reuters) - Starting with just one plane in 2003, Indonesia's Sriwijaya Air has become the country's No.3 airline group, aided by its strategy of acquiring old planes at cheap prices and serving routes neglected by competitors. The mid-market airline, which has few international flights, was thrust into the spotlight this week when a nearly 27-year old Boeing Co 737-500 crashed into the Java Sea on Saturday with 62 people on board.[nL1N2JN08I]

Brothers Chandra and Hendry Lie, whose family was involved in tin mining and the garment industry, and their business partners launched Sriwijaya 17 years ago with a single plane that flew from their hometown of Pangkal Pinang on Bangka Island to Indonesia's capital Jakarta.