REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTQ  - Indonesias aircraft industry PT Dirgantara Indonesia has received an order to manufacture about one hindred N-219 planes for domestic transportation. The president director Budi Santosa, admitted that the orders were still in the form of memorandums of understanding.

"Usually a memorandum of understanding comes first and only after the airplane is flying a contract is signed," he said.

"They have to manufacture soon. We will design the airplane this year and assemble it next year. By 2015, we hope it will have flown," the company's president director, Budi Santoso, said recently.

He said most of the planes were ordered by domestic airline companies and regional governments.He added that an N-219 plane can carry 19 passengers and so it has the potential for use in the country. He estimated that the need for it could reach to 100 to 150 airplanes.

"A of N-219 planes is competitive as compared to that of the Twin Otter and the Cessna Caravan," he said.

He said N-219 is sold at only 4-5 million USD per unit, while the Twin Otter and the Cessna Caravan could reach 6-7 million USD per unit. The director general of high technology-based prime industries, Budi Darmadi, said N-219 is suitable for conditions in Indonesia that need many short-haul flights and have many short runways

"Initially the type was designed for Papua that is hilly and is difficult to access by land transportation," said.

He added that the aircraft only needs about 500 meters of runway to land, so it is suitable for feeder flights of mostly two hours duration.

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