Bappenas' Efforts to Realize the Dream of Aerospace Industry Glory through Collaboration
Aircraft Hangar PT Dirgantara Indonesia /DIY News/ MR Firmansyah
MR Firmansyah
- 19 Desember 2022, 11:19 WIB
DIY NEWS - Twenty-seven years ago, the Hangar Main Assembly Line
IPTN Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung, witnessed the first flight of the N-250 aircraft, Gatotkaca, which is the original aircraft made by the nation's children, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie.
On August 10, 1995, Gatotkaca's N-250 aircraft flew for the first time gallantly, dismissing the pessimistic tone of foreign media predicting this aircraft would crash. Gatotkaca became the first aircraft in the
subsonic speed class with
fly by wire technology or its entire motion was computerized controlled, which could be airborne without problems.
This momentum is predicted to be a milestone in the history of Indonesia's aerospace glory. The N-250 civilian passenger aircraft, which can accommodate 50 to 70 passengers on board, is projected to win market share of propeller-class aircraft.
But unfortunately, this dream fell apart when the monetary crisis hit Indonesia since 1997. This has an impact on
aviation industry no longer able to get state financial support. Because to get out of the crisis, Indonesia must put aside this project as part of saving the economy.
Although the dream was dashed to the point of
IPTN disbanded, which later changed its name to PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), but the Main Assembly Line hangar in the Husein Sastranegara Airport complex, Bandung, is now still firmly standing, keeping the dream of glory of the national aerospace industry.
When he visited it in October 2019, the paint on the hangar's iron structure had peeled off a lot. Even the glass of the room on the left side of the building looked dull, like it hadn't been used for a long time. The building, although magnificent, only looks like an ordinary old aircraft hangar.
But who would have thought, the hangar became a silent witness that the dream of homeland aerospace glory was treated. Also in October 2019, the Main Assembly Line hangar witnessed PTDI's CN235-220 military aircraft being exported to Nepal.
Export of PTDI-produced military aircraft to Nepal in front of the hangar of the Main Assembly Line News DIY/ MR Firmansyah
PTDI's Production Director, Batara Silaban, said that since 1976 until now, his party has sent 466 aircraft to more than 50 customers, both from within the country and abroad.
In producing the aircraft, there was the role of 3,700 PTDI workers, of which nearly 40 percent were engineers. He assessed that the aerospace human resources owned are reliable state assets in the future.
"These are indeed human resources who will certainly be able to contribute to the aerospace industry," he said in a Special Session at the Indonesia Development Forum 2022, Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
Indonesia Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Roadmap 2022-2045
Various types of aircraft have now been successfully produced by PTDI. There are 2 types of aircraft that can be made by the manufacturer from Bandung, namely fixed wing aircraft or
fixed-wing aircraft and rotary wing aircraft or aircraft with
rotary wings.
The fixed wing aircraft produced by PTDI include N219 Nurtanio, NC212 family, CN235 family, and CN295. The aircraft was built to meet the needs of civil airlines, military operators and special mission needs.
Meanwhile, the
rotary wing aircraft that PTDI has successfully made are AS550 helicopters, A565 helicopters, Superpuma Family helicopters and Bell 412EP helicopters. This helicopter product is manufactured under agreement with Airbus Helicopter and Bell Helicopter Textron.
To increase the capacity of the domestic aerospace industry, the Ministry of National Development Planning or
Bappenas, together with the Diaspora and Migration Program (PMD) GIZ and ITB published the Indonesian Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Roadmap 2022-2045.
The roadmap is expected to be a reference for aerospace industry stakeholders in supporting the integration of local industries, commercialization of research, design and development, fulfillment of quality standards, growth of new local players and supporting industries, and capacity expansion to participate in global supply chains.
In the 2022-2045 Indonesian aerospace industry ecosystem roadmap, there are 2 pillars set, including the aerospace product pillar, as well as aerospace services and supporting ecosystems. For the aerospace product pillar, it consists of the development of the aircraft industry as well as components and supply chains. Meanwhile, the aerospace services pillar and supporting ecosystem, consisting of
maintenance, repair, overhaul and after-sales, as well as aviation and airport services.
Deputy for Economic Affairs
Bappenas, Amalia Adininggar Widiyasanti, explained that when the aircraft industry is encouraged to develop, the related industries will be moved. Of course, this will create a positive double effect for the Indonesian economy.
"One of our keys to driving economic growth in the long haul can only be by increasing productivity. Without increased productivity, Indonesia cannot grow high sustainably for the long term," she explained.
Learning from the United States, according to her presentation, the aerospace industry is the industry with the second largest average wage rate after the IT sector. To increase sustainable per capita income, the development of the aerospace industry can be a solution.
"If we want to increase sustainable per capita income, because later this aerospace industry will encourage strategies to increase the productivity of the economic sector through the industrialization process," said Amalia.
This is very important, looking at the Indonesian Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Roadmap 2022-2045 prepared to achieve the vision of a Golden Indonesia in 2045, one of which is realizing a better and more equitable level of welfare of the Indonesian people with higher human quality.
In addition, the roadmap is also believed to be able to release Indonesia from the
middle income trap to the upper class. Development
aviation industry rated effective for achieving this goal.
"One thing that was said by the Minister (
Bappenas, Suharso Monoarfa), that from the stage of industrialization in Indonesia, the rightmost (best) is the human capital intensive industry, where the
human capital intensive industry is the industry that can provide
the greatest added value among other industries," she said.
Indonesia Development Forum 2022 Dok Bappenas
In the Special Session session at the Indonesia Development Forum 2022, Amalia explained, in carrying out the 2022-2045 Indonesian Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Roadmap, a new financing scheme is needed so that it does not only rely on the State Budget. Learning from the case of the N250 aircraft, where its development stalled because its funding relied on the Government.
"To run the Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Roadmap, we definitely need
financing. Because this development is expected not to be entirely dependent on the Government's budget, but how we mobilize new business models so that we can both encourage, develop, and realize Indonesia to become one of the leading aircraft manufacturers in the world," said Amalia.
Bukan tak mungkin, mimpi majunya industri dirgantara pada 27 tahun silam, terwujud 50 tahun setelahnya lewat upaya gotong royong.
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