Economy Weakened, PTDI Exports Aircraft to Thailand and Nepal

RADARPENA.ID - Bandung's sky was so bright that morning. A unit of CN235-220 Military Transport aircraft took off smoothly. The RI product plane left for Nepal. This aircraft is a Nepal Army order. Ferry flight from PTDI's Fixed Wing Hangar, Jalan Pajajaran Bandung, to Kathmandu, Nepal arrived on November 2, 2019.

Interestingly, in this week PTDI also delivered, an NC212i aircraft unit for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) of Thailand and had arrived at Nakhon Sawan Air Base, Muang, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, on October 24, 2019.

Capt. Esther Gayatri Saleh as a Test Pilot in Command and Flight Instructor (acting as Chief of the Mission), and Capt. Ervan Gustanto as a Copilot brought the CN235-220 aircraft from Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung to Medan.

Then proceed to Yangon, Myanmar, then continue back to Dhaka, Bangladesh and fly back to Kathmandu, Nepal as the final destination. The aircraft will carry out advanced Flight Training and Final Acceptance Flight by the Nepalese Army.

"Actually, the contract signing for the procurement of one unit of CN235-220 Military Transport aircraft has been carried out on June 16, 2017 with the contract number MGO / Fixed Wing / 073/74/65 between PTDI and the Nepalese Army," said Acting. Company Secretary, Irlan Budiman, Wednesday (10/30).

He explained, the CN235-220 Military Transport aircraft export program for Nepalese Army financing part of its working capital was funded by the Indonesian Export Financing Agency (LPEI) or Indonesia Eximbank with the National Interest Account (NIA) scheme.

The use of the NIA scheme from LPEI or Indonesia Eximbank is a special assignment from the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia to provide aircraft export financing, where LPEI or Indonesia Eximbank also supports PTDI in penetrating markets in Africa and South Asia.

"The CN235-220 aircraft is a multirole aircraft with a carrying capacity of 48 (forty eight) passengers that can be used for several missions, ranging from reconnaissance, maritime patrols and the transport of armed forces," he explained.

As for some of the advantages of CN235-220 Military Transport Nepalese Army aircraft, including Quick Change Configurations (Troop / Paratroop, VIP, Medical Evacuation, Passanger and Cargo). Then Full Glass Cockpit, Wide Rear Ramp Door, Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) 16,500 kg, Maximum Payload200 Kg. Short Take Off-Landing (STOL) 977 m. Endurance for ± 11 hours.
"Multihop Capability Fuel Tank is a technology that allows airplanes not to need to refill fuel to continue flying to the next route," he said.

Until now, PTDI has succeeded in producing and sending 68 units of CN235 aircraft for domestic and abroad, from a total of 285 units of the CN235 series population in the world.

The domestic operators that use CN235 series aircraft are the Indonesian Air Force and the Navy. "While foreign operators are Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, South Korea, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Senegal and Nepal whose aircraft have been delivered today," he explained.

Meanwhile, Corporate Communications and Promotion Manager Adi Prastowo said, PTDI had also released NC212i aircraft which would then be operated by the Department of the Rain Making and Agricultural Aviation, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Thailand. "The plane arrived on October 24, and landed smoothly at Nakhon Sawan Air Base, Muang, Nakhon Sawan, Thailand," he explained.

The aircraft was flown by Capt. Esther Gayatri Saleh, PTDI Chief Test Pilot as Pilot In Command Ferry and Acceptance Mission, and Capt. Ervan Gustanto as Chief of Mission Copilot flew NC212i from Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung to Hang Nadim Airport, Batam, then flew back to Hat Yai International Airport, Thailand.

The contract signing for the procurement of two NC212i aircraft was carried out on March 17, 2017 between PTDI and A.I.C.E. Enterprises (Thai) Co., Ltd. with the end user is the Department of the Rain Making and Agricultural Aviation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) of Thailand. "The remaining one aircraft from the contract to procure two NC212i aircraft is planned to be handed over by the end of this year," he explained.

To note this NC212i aircraft can be used as passenger transport, VIP, cargo, rain making, troop / paratroop transport and medical evacuation that can be installed alternately in accordance with the operational needs of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative (MOAC) of Thailand. The NC212i aircraft has been fully carried out by PTDI, meaning PTDI is the only aircraft industry in the world currently producing NC212i aircraft.

PTDI will increase NC212i's aircraft production capacity which was originally 4 aircraft per year, to 6 aircraft per year, which will begin next year to meet the NC212i's target needs for the next 10 years.
The NC212i aircraft is the latest generation multipurpose aircraft from NC212 with a capacity of 28 passengers, has a ramp door, spacious cabin in its class, a more modern navigation and communication system, lower operating costs but remains competitive in the small aircraft market. (fin / ful)