Indonesian ferry operator Bukit Merapin Nusantara Lines (BMN) has acquired its largest-ever ship, a South Korean-owned ro-pax.
Joining the company as its new flagship is the 11,600-gross-ton (gt) Red Star (built 1994), which TradeWinds understands was recently owned by Seoul-based East North Asia Car Ferry Co.
BMN sources say the ferry is undergoing a refit at a shipyard in Indonesia and will be renamed Seira before being placed on a service between the ports of Merak in Java and Bakauheni in Sumatra.
The short distance between the two islands means the popular route is well served by several domestic operators that offer very frequent hourly departures.
BMN owns and operates six other ro-pax ferries, the largest being 3,600 gt.
The Spanish-built Red Star is an unusual purchase for an Indonesian company as there is a strong preference among the country’s ferry operators for Japanese-built ships.
