ASDP was originally established in 1973 during the presidency of
Soeharto, under the PASDF (
Proyek Angkutan Sungai, Danau, dan Ferry — River, Lake, and Ferry Transportation Project) within the Directorate of River, Lake, and Ferry Transportation Traffic (DLLASDF) and the Directorate General of Land Transportation of the
Ministry of Transportation. Soeharto aimed to connect the land route from
Banda Aceh, at the northernmost tip of
Sumatra, to
Lospalos in the easternmost part of
Timor Island. In 1980, PASDF was changed to PASDP (
Proyek Angkutan Sungai Danau dan Penyeberangan — River, Lake, and Crossing Transportation Project), and in 1992 it became PT Angkutan Sungai Danau dan Penyeberangan (Persero). In 2004, the company adopted its current name, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), as part of a business transformation and rebranding process. Ira Puspadevi served as president director of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry from 2017 until 2024. In 2025, she and two colleagues were convicted over the acquisition of PT Jembatan Nusantara, which investigators said caused financial losses to the state. ==Fleet and ports==