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Presidential aircraft a test of patience for nation’s VVIPs
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Plane-to-see problem: The presidential aircraft is seen at Halim Perdanakusuma air base in East Jakarta. The aircraft has been a source of nuisance for passengers during long-distance state visits as it must make many stops for refueling. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
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board the presidential aircraft flying high above the Pacific Ocean en route to Lima, Peru, 74-year-old Vice President Jusuf Kalla looked tired and jittery, going in and out of the presidential room.
After learning that the plane was only halfway through its journey, Kalla decided to kill time by sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cabin and chatting with members of his entourage about topics ranging from the trivial — medication for rheumatism and diabetes — to serious issues such as the proposal Indonesia would present during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from Nov. 19 to 20.
After sharing food and drinks with members of his entourage, Kalla retreated again to the presidential compartment to rest.
“This going to be a long and tiring flight. Be ready for a journey of many long hours,” Kalla said with a smile when visiting seven journalists who were relegated to the rear cabin of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Kalla meant what he said as with the type of aircraft he was traveling on, the long journey to Lima would only be longer.
Regulations that prevent Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) airplanes flying for more than nine hours non-stop meant Kalla and his entourage spent almost two days traveling from Jakarta to Lima, a trip that involved stopping in Guam, Hawaii and Mexico with each stop taking around three hours. Half of the time was spent refueling the presidential aircraft.
The modern jet is equipped with six tanks, with a total capacity of 35,539 liters of fuel, which enables it to fly for a maximum of 12 hours. However, for safety reasons the pilot of the presidential aircraft is not allowed to fly for more than nine hours so that the aircraft has a sufficient amount of fuel in case it needs to make an emergency landing.
Leaving Jakarta at 9 a.m. on Nov. 17, Kalla arrived in Lima at 6 a.m. local time the next day, or 6 p.m. Jakarta time.
After landing, Kalla did not have much time to rest as he had a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang scheduled at 1 p.m. Kalla spent more back-breaking hours on his way home as the aircraft had to stop in Los Angeles, Hawaii and Guam for refueling.
The trip could have been less stressful for Kalla had the government decided to procure a wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
With a wide-body aircraft it would take only 27 hours to fly from Jakarta to Lima, with one stopover in Amsterdam.
It was the decision of then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2014, shortly before he left office, to buy the single-aisle, six-seat row Boeing 737-800 aircraft claiming that it could save Rp 114 billion (US$8.43 million) annually, compared to a scheme under which the president used chartered commercial flights for overseas trips.
The plane, which can carry a maximum of 67 passengers, cost Rp 847 billion. With its $4.5 million self-defense system, the Air Force can ensure the President’s safety.
The Boeing Company took five years to build the aircraft. It is 38 meters long with a wingspan of 35.79 meters and is 12.5 meters tall. Boeing has also installed CFM 56-7 engines on its wings.
Aviation expert Arista Atmadjati said the government should consider buying a wide-body aircraft for its presidential airplane given that Indonesia was a member of a number of transcontinental organizations such as G-20, APEC and the Non-Aligned Movement.
He said the current presidential aircraft should only be used when the President was making domestic trips.
