ANGKASA PURA I, BOEING TO SET UP JOINT MRO FACILITIES
Jakarta,Indonesia : State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I (AP I) is going to team up with US aerospace giant Boeing to set up maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Indonesia in the near future.
AP I corporate secretary Miduk Situmorang said the firms planned to construct the MRO facilities at Lombok International Airport in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara and Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
“Both airports are in strategic locations and Makassar is the aviation hub in the eastern part of Indonesia. The feasibility study is currently being carried out and we expect to finish it this year,”
Miduk said.
“We hope we can sign a memorandum of understanding with Boeing in the end of 2012.”
He said that AP I planned to clear a 500-hectare plot of land in each location to provide adequate space for the facilities.
If everything goes according to plan, the construction of the aircraft maintenance centers could begin in the first half of 2013. “The aviation industry in our country is getting stronger, making the MRO business more promising every year. We see huge potential for Boeing maintenance here because a lot of airlines, including in Indonesia, use these [Boeing] aircraft,” he added.
In addition, he said that the joint MRO plan was part of Boeing’s offset programs for Indonesia, that were previously announced by Indonesian Ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal at the Transportation Ministry in May.
Dino said the US-based company committed to providing offset programs, a common industrial compensation practice, for both civil and military programs.
The Transportation Ministry, airport operators, domestic airlines, and aviation experts are currently discussing other alternative forms of offset programs — including technology transfers, counter-trades and the opening of a research and development center in Indonesia, among other options to help Indonesia maximize the benefits of its relationship with Boeing.
15/08/2012 : Nurfika Osman / The Jakarta Post
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