The first agreement was the sale of five N219 Nurtanio light twin turboprop airplanes to Setdco Group, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the end user.

The sales contract was signed by PTDI president director Gita Amperiawan and Setdco chief executive officer Setiawan Djodi and was witnessed by National Development Planning Minister/National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) chief Suharso Monoarfa and Bappenas deputy for the economy Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti at the Bali International Convention Center in Nusa Dua, Bali.

The contract was sealed at the end of the three-day High-Level Forum on Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (HLF MSP) and Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) 2024.

Read also: Indonesia-Africa Forum concludes with 32 business deals

“Congo has finally bought five units of made-in-Indonesia N219 aircraft,” Suharso said, as quoted by PTDI in a press statement.

“The DRC government also wants to learn how to arrange planning, how Indonesia was able to reach the stage it is at today, and they are amazed.

“Indonesia will also learn from Congo how to manage natural resources. The government has opened the space for knowledge-sharing for future development.”

Analysts say Africa has major potential for aviation market growth, with a significant need for planes that can operate in airports without optimum infrastructure.

A N219 plane piloted by Captain Esther Gayatri flies during a flight test from Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung on Aug. 17, 2017. (JP/Arya Dipa)

PTDI said the N219 was specifically designed for pioneering flights involving difficult terrain and would meet the requirements of African aviation.

“We target the N219 not only for the domestic market, but also for the international market, especially in Asia-Pacific and Africa. With N219, we provide a suitable air transportation solution to fulfill the needs of several regions of Africa,” Gita said.

“This is also part of our commitment to support economic development by increasing connectivity between regions.”

PTDI expected the N219 procurement contract with Setdco group would help strengthen bilateral relations between African nations and Indonesia.

“Overall, the move will not only widen PTDI’s market in Africa but also strengthen Indonesia’s position as a strategic partner for African countries,” the company said.

In November 2023, PTDI signed a contract with the Defense Ministry to provide six N219 planes to the Indonesian Army. It also signed a letter of intent that month with Singaporean firm Linkfield Technologies to market 25 N219 planes in China.

The N219 has a capacity of 19 passengers with a maximum range of 1,533 kilometers.

A CN235-220M military transport aircraft operated by the Indonesian Air Force is seen in this undated photo. State-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia signed a letter of intent to sell two CN-235-220M planes to the air force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sept. 3, 2024. (Courtesy of PT Dirgantara Indonesia/-)

Separately, at the Mulia Hotel, PTDI signed a framework agreement with AD Trade Belgium in military business development for the air forces of the DRC and Senegal.

The agreement covers the procurement of two CN-235-220M medium military transport aircraft for the Congolese Air Force and the provision of four-year periodic inspections of two CN-235-220 aircraft belonging to the Senegalese Air Force.

“PTDI has been exporting the CN-235 to African countries since the early 2000s. Burkina Faso has one, Guinea has one, and Senegal has three,” Gita said.

The CN-235-220 has also been exported to Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea.

The military transport plane can carry a payload of up to 5,200 kilograms and has a maximum range of about 3,900 kilometers. (nvn)