REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG - State owned aircraft industry, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has started producing N219 aircraft components after a feasibility study and market assessment.
"N219 is designed to solve some problems (in transportation) in remote areas in Indonesia," President Director of PTDI, Budi Santoso said on Tuesday.
N219 is a pioneer aircraft with 19 passenger seats. The aircraft is able to land on short runways even in extreme altitude. N219 program has been started in 2006.
PTDI will work the whole project by August 10, 2015. The first N219 starts to fly in December in the same year followed by certification process in 2016.
"Domestic demand is quite high, so we will have the test here," Santoso added.
According to him, N219 is likely to compete other pioneer aircrafts, such as Twin Otter made in Canada and Y12 from China. A number of airline companies and industries plan to book 150 units of N219 aircraft.
Head of National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan), Thomas Djamaludin said that government had prepared 400 billion IDR to fund this project. Lapan has prepared Experts on aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, navigation, and aircraft avionics.
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