REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG -- The National Space and Aviation Institute (LAPAN) said it plans to develop amphibious version of the country's new aircraft product N219 to enable it to land on small islands.

"We want this aircraft to serve short distance routes between small islands which have no airstrips. The amphibious N2019 aircraft could land on the beach," LAPAN chief Thomas Djamaluddin said here on Wednesday, when watching the aircraft landing safely after a successful flight test at the Husein Sastranegara airport of Bandung.

Thomas said he was proud that the aircraft was assembled by state-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia with technicians all Indonesians.

"This is assembled by Indonesian engineers unlike N250 aircraft, which is assembled in cooperation with foreign technicians," he said.

Chief Executive of PT Dirgantara Indonesia Budi Santoso said the success in the flight test is "very" important for the company and Indonesia's aviation industry as it proves the the capability of the country in designing, testing, certification up to production of aircraft.

"There is no foreign technical assistance. It is the result or a brainware after years of hard work of Indonesian engineers," Budi said.

The N219 aircraft took to the air in a maiden test flight on Wednesday at the air strip of the Husein Sastranegara airport.

The test flight was held after the aircraft was give the Certificate of Airworthiness from the Transport Ministry.

The two turboprop engine aircraft has a capacity of carrying 19 passengers.

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