PT Dirgantara Indonesia expects to deliver N219 commuter aircraft in 2014

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post

Tuesday 02/14/2012 4:46 PM

State-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) expects to deliver the first N219 commuter aircraft in 2014, a top executive said on Tuesday.

“First delivery will be in 2014,” technology director Dita Ardonni Jafri told The Jakarta Post in a text message.

“We will use existing facilities with an investment of Rp 300 billion [US$33.15 million] to manufacture the aircraft.”

He also said that PT DI needed about 100 N219s to reach the program’s break-even point. The twin-turboprop N-219 is designed using the CASR 23 regulating aircraft for normal, aerobatic, utility and commuter categories.

PT DI is scheduled to sign a letter of intent and a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday with Nusantara Buana Air (NBA) at the Singapore Airshow in Changi, NBA manager James Massie told the Post on Monday.

The purchase of the US$4 million, 19-seat aircraft was in line with the company’s plan to enter Kalimantan, Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua in near future, he said.

Currently, NBA operates 12 pioneer routes in Aceh, North Sumatra, Bengkulu, West Sumatra and Maluku with 5 Casa 212-200s.

Source:  http://www.thejakartapost.com