REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- State-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) claimed that the N219 aircraft will soon support the government's mission to connect remote regions in Indonesia's some 17 thousand islands, President Director Elfien Guntoro stated here, Thursday.
During the press conference session at the Indonesia Business &Development Expo 2017, Guntoro explained that currently, several islands and highland areas are isolated, as the locals did not have access to means of air transportation.
"Since most remote regions are located in the extreme or steep land areas, an effective means of air transportation still plays an important role in ensuring that the locals can travel to the neighboring areas for trading or other purposes," he added.
To this end, PT Dirgantara Indonesia has started manufacturing the small yet multi-functional N219 aircraft that can take off and land on both land and water.
"The aircraft is designed to take off and land on water. Hence, the N219 could be soon used not only for transportation but also for tourism purposes and for conducting rescue operations," the director remarked.
The 3T, or Frontier, Outermost, and Remote, regions hold huge potential in the tourism sector, which has yet to be explored, according to Guntoro.
"The N219 aircraft is expected to provide effective access to divers and other tourists keen on traveling directly to the diving spots, for instance, in the Raja Ampat Islands or the Wakatobi natural water park," he reiterated.
The future plan is to start operating flights, for instance, from Sorong District to Raja Ampat Islands or from Bau-Bau in Southeast Sulawesi Province to the Wakatobi Water Park.
"These air services will save not only money but also time; hence, the aircraft will serve as a good investment for the Indonesian government as well as the local authorities," he stated while adding that in future, people will no longer rely excessively on some high-priced infrastructure, such as airports and ports, to provide access.
The company has currently launched a weekly test flight in order to secure an airworthiness certificate, Guntoro pointed out.
"Since Aug 16, we have conducted four test flights. Hence, we are optimistic that the N219 aircraft would obtain the airworthiness certificate in November next year (2018)," he reiterated.
In term of the strategy to market the aircraft, the company has targeted to prioritize domestic consumers, such as local airline companies and authorities.
"We call on the local authorities to set up a joint venture, for instance, with the airplane companies in order to provide air transportation services to the people living in remote regions," Guntoro remarked.
Besides a joint venture, the local authorities can allocate the subsidiary fund to the locals in 3T regions to use the aircraft to not only offer transportation services to other places but also for the trading and distribution of goods.
Apart from the local government, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency can use the aircraft to conduct rescue missions in remote islands or isolated regions.
The N219 aircraft, costing US$5.5-6 million, can carry a maximum of 19 passengers and 2.3 tons of cargo.
The aircraft is capable of operating from runways measuring only 500-600 meters, Guntoro added.
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