Exclusive, President Director of PTDI Gita Amperiawan: First Time to Complete Aircraft Production to Certification
30 December 2024, 10:00 |
Editorial Team
With the capabilities of his company, according to PTDI President Director Gita Amperiawan, his party is not only targeting the local market, but also the global market that is wide open. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)
The existence of PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) in the midst of the increasing needs of the aviation industry is very strategic. President Director of PTDI, Gita Amperiawan, emphasized that his company, which is supported by hundreds of engineers and experts, has succeeded for the first time in completing the production of the N219 aircraft from the design stage to obtaining certification.
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The certification for the
N219 aircraft was handed over by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to
PTDI, witnessed directly by the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi in Jakarta, Monday, December 28, 2020. Now, PTDI is preparing mass production for a 19-passenger propeller aircraft which has a number of advantages compared to similar aircraft.
According to
Gita Amperiawan, the achievements achieved by the engineers who serve at PTDI deserve to be appreciated. This is the first time that this nation's proud aerospace company has reached an important phase in aircraft production.
"The
N219 aircraft is a product that involves the nation's experts. From design to production, around 400 engineers are involved. And this is the first in the history of our aviation, building an aircraft, then we process for certification until it is completed and ready for mass production. Hopefully this will be the successor to the late Mr. Habibie's ideals in building the N250 Aircraft," he said.
Although the media has recently widely publicized the Jeju Air plane crash at South Korea's Muan airport on Sunday 29 December, the crash of the Azerbaijan plane on 25 December and a number of other accidents, the safety level of this air transportation is still better than that of land and sea transportation modes. Because the manufacture and operation of the aircraft uses high safety standards. "We make aircraft with high security, before operating they must also be certified. It's not easy to get," he said.
In the Southeast Asian region, PTDI is the only aerospace industry that exists. However, he said, many do not know this condition. He was envious of the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) which is the pride of the ginseng country.
"Not many people who go to Bandung know that there is
a PTDI that produces airplanes. Therefore, we use CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds for edutainment programs for students and students on weekends," said
Gita Amperiawan to
Edy Suherli, Bambang Eros, Irfan Meidianto, and
Dandi Juniar during a stop at the
VOI office not long after. Here's the full excerpt.
According to the President Director of PTDI, Gita Amperiawan, the N219 aircraft they produce has advantages compared to similar aircraft. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)
What is PTDI's main target in developing the N219 aircraft?
The N219 aircraft is a product that involves the nation's experts. From design to production, about 400 engineers are involved. This is the first in our aviation history, building an aircraft, then processing it until it is certified and ready for mass production. Hopefully this will be the successor to the late Mr. Habibie's ideals in building the N250 Aircraft. By producing the N219, PTDI successfully completed one cycle in aircraft manufacturing, from design to certification. Currently, the aircraft has entered the production phase.
The N219 aircraft is also a vehicle for PTDI to start aggressively penetrating the commercial market. In the past, PTDI used to do it for the N250 aircraft, but it did not develop. So now we're going to start again. In addition, we are also targeting the defense market and the commercial market because these sectors have huge opportunities.
What are the advantages of the N219 aircraft?
This aircraft is a multi-purpose 19-passenger aircraft. The advantage of the N219 aircraft is its ability to take off and land on a short runway, which is about 600 meters to 800 meters. The foundation does not have to be paved; The aircraft can also be used on clay or grass. This aircraft is perfect for pioneering flights with short airport runways. Nearly 100 pioneer airports in Indonesia have runways below 1,000 meters.
The N219 aircraft is very suitable to reach 3T (Frontier, Remote, and Outermost) areas. These areas have a unique character with short runways. In addition, the stol (short take-off and landing) speed of this aircraft is designed to be low, so that before landing, the aircraft can go around the hill. This aircraft is suitable for the geographical conditions of remote areas that have minimal airport facilities.
Is there already an amphibious specification, considering that our country is an archipelago?
The next development was seaplanes. Alhamdulillah, the step in that direction has started through BRIN's order. From Bappenas, there is already a green light to help the development of this aircraft from the basic version that has been certified to the amphibious version. Despite its specifications for landing on water, this aircraft can still land on an ordinary runway because it is equipped with wheels for landing on land.
Until now, which parties have expressed interest in buying N219?
Since getting certified in December 2020, orders have come from various parties. The Indonesian Ministry of Defense, under the leadership of Mr. Prabowo as Minister of Defense, has ordered this aircraft. Currently, we have also entered the commercial market. Our struggle is long, including setting up services for periodic services and providing funding institutions. We offer financing schemes and systems to potential buyers.
We have pioneered projects with several local governments through economic alleviation programs supported by Bappenas. The first project is in Riau Islands Province, where the N219 aircraft is used as a means of regional connectivity.
When dealing with banks that are interested in becoming fund providers, they ask if the secondary market has been formed. This is a new challenge for us. However, at the recent Bali International Air Show, we have signed a booking with two parties. We hope that in the near future this will be followed by a purchase contract.
We have also signed a purchase contract with a national businessman who owns a mine in Congo. In Africa, the N219 aircraft is particularly effective for remote areas. Until now, there have been a total of 5 contracts for the manufacture of N219 aircraft that we have worked on. With this, we have entered the commercial stage.
So, PTDI learned a lot in aircraft marketing?
Amazing, this is really something new for PTDI.
Currently, for this N219 class aircraft, what are the competitors?
Many manufacturers make aircraft of this class. Twin Otter has already worked on this class, then Cessna with its product 408 SkyCourier. The Caravan is also from Cessna, although smaller (9 passengers), it could be a competitor as well. All of the competitors are from abroad. In the future, how can this N219 be a solution for the connectivity of our country's territory.
What are the chances of winning the competition with competitors who already exist?
Each producer has its own advantages. Regarding performance, we dare to compete, including with SkyCourier for example. Some say they are better, but to take off and land, they need a runway of 1,300 m. While N219 is quite 600–800 m. There is also one engine like the Caravan, while the N219 has two engines, so it's safer if the other engine has problems while flying. For the payload, we can compete with Twin Otter which is under 2 tons; we can be two tons more. In addition, inside the N219 is more spacious, the cabin height is 170 cm, while the others average 150 cm. I've brought in a few potential buyers, and they're comfortable with this plane.
What about the selling price?
Compared to SkyCourier and others, we can still compete on price. The TKDN (domestic content level) of N219 is 44.69%. We will continue to increase up to 60% of the TKDN of this aircraft. The next challenge is to provide a supply chain when the aircraft has been mass-produced. With this advantage, we are optimistic that we can compete in the future. Ideally, PTDI has its own leasing to support the sale of N219.
This aerospace industry can provide added value to the economy. We will create the ecosystem. The aerospace industry is powerful. Therefore, we ask the government to take advantage of this opportunity. With aircraft, regions can overcome connectivity constraints and open logistics distribution channels.
Ilham Habibie in an interview with VOI said that the niche market for this small type of aircraft is very large for a region like Indonesia, what is your comment?
I agree with that opinion. The N219 is a small aircraft, and its potential and niche for pioneering aviation is huge. It can also unlock remote areas. We see that in the Riau Islands and other regions in Indonesia that are separated by the sea and rough terrain, this small aircraft can be a solution. As I mentioned earlier, the runway is relatively short, and it does not have to be asphalt. Clay and grass foundations can also be used for landing. In addition, the maintenance is also designed to be simple. This N219 is designed to be a solution to connect remote areas in the country.
In addition to prioritizing the domestic market, at the same time, we are also penetrating for the global market. Several countries have expressed interest in using this aircraft. We just need to continue with the MoU to be more advanced and then production.
In addition to the N219, what other aircraft are PTDI's flagship aircraft?
The NC212 and CN235 aircraft are aircraft that we have been producing for quite a long time. We used to produce the NC212 with Airbus, but now Airbus is no longer producing it. That is, we become sole makers. Alhamdulillah, during President Prabowo's visit to Brazil and Peru the other day, there was an MoU with PTDI. In Lima, Peru, we signed an MoU with a local company for MRO CN235 and NC212 for Latin America. They prepared about 2 million US dollars for two years of maintenance and made the CN235 and NC212 aircraft that were not airworthy. This is a big market for PTDI, and we already have local company partners working on it.
In addition to Latin America, we also penetrate Africa, Senegal, and Nigeria. In Asia, we have been doing it for a long time. Our strategy: first, how to maximize PTDI as a supplier of defense equipment and aircraft for the TNI (Indonesian Armed Force). Second, how do we get into the commercial market. And third, how to explore export opportunities for PTDI products.
Why do you think our national airline still uses pioneer aircraft from foreign manufacturers, not from PTDI's production? What are the obstacles?
As far as I know, the main obstacle is in the funding sector. For foreign aircraft manufacturers, they already have funding support. PTDI does not yet have a leasing or similar funding institution. Indeed, someone must buy first. We are grateful to one of the operators in the Riau Islands who will buy two N219 aircraft. Currently, we are still processing certification from the Ministry of Transportation so that this N219 can be used by national cargo companies.
Apart from aircraft production, the PTDI area is now also open for tourist visits on Fridays and weekends. Where did the idea come from?
This is part of our CSR. The idea started from our collaboration with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) located in Sacheon City, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. There, newcomers immediately find out that there is an aircraft industry in the city. There are quite a lot of markers in the city, such as taxis with ornaments in the shape of airplanes, and others.
When people go to Bandung, exit the Pasteur Toll Road, they don't know that next to it is the only aircraft industry location in Southeast Asia. Therefore, I tell my friends, we must introduce this PTDI to the community. Then, we distribute CSR through the edutainment program. School children can visit PTDI on Fridays and weekends. The title is tourism, but there is an educational content. Children enter for free, and we also prepare Bandros (Bandung city tour bus).
The existence of PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) amidst the increasing needs of the aviation industry is very strategic. PTDI CEO, Gita Amperiawan, emphasized that his company, supported by hundreds of engineers and experts, has succeeded for the first time in completing the production of the...
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