February 23, 2024
JAKARTA – European helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopter signed maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) deals with two Indonesian aerospace firms on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday.
The first was a contract with MRO company PT Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF) Aero Asia in which Airbus agreed to provide expertise and technical assistance in design, manufacturing and retrofitting for five AS332 Super Puma helicopters owned by the Indonesian Air Force.
The contract was signed by Airbus Helicopters head of Asia Pacific Vincent Dubrule and GMF chief executive officer Andi Fahrurrozi.
Under the agreement, the AS332 helicopters will undergo midlife upgrades in which GMF will make use of Airbus’ expertise and skills in providing retrofitting solutions, which include the installation of full glass cockpits and sophisticated autopilot systems.
“Airbus has been supporting Indonesia’s military helicopters for more than four decades. We are happy to extend our support with GMF to provide the Indonesian Air Force with the best upgrade solution to enhance its Super Puma operational life,” Dubrule said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Andi said the strategic collaboration with Airbus was a pivotal move that reflected GMF’s commitment to advancing in the defense industry.
“Over the years, GMF’s defense sector [business] has seen remarkable development, playing a crucial role in our revenue and financial recovery. We look forward to leveraging Airbus’ technical prowess to solidify GMF’s position as a key player in the global aerospace landscape,” Andi said in the statement.
GMF, a subsidiary of flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, has ventured into the defense sector by establishing a Defense Industry Strategic Business Unit.
The MRO firm signed a contract in 2021 with the Defense Ministry to modernize eight C-130H Hercules heavy transport aircraft owned by the Indonesian Air Force, in a package worth US$80 million. The first batch of upgraded aircraft was delivered in March 2023.
Airbus and GMF are longtime partners that work together though a long-term maintenance training services agreement supporting maintenance training for A320 narrowbody and the A330 widebody aircraft from Indonesia and surrounding regions.
Separately, Airbus also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with state-owned defense holding company PT LEN Industri (Defend ID) to study the development of aerostructure production for helicopters, complete helicopter production and increase the local MRO capacity of PT LEN, Airbus said in a press statement.
The MoU was signed by Dubrule and PT LEN business and cooperation director Wahyu Sofiadi.
Through the agreement, Airbus will cooperate with PT LEN and its subsidiary, state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI), to support the latter’s growth in its aerostructure manufacturing business and to start continuous improvement in MRO services to reach a local reliable operation.
Currently, PT DI assembles Airbus’ H225M Caracal multirole helicopters and NC-295 medium transport aircraft, which are operated by the Indonesian Military.
PT DI also manufactures under license CN-235 medium transport aircraft and NC-212i light transport aircraft. It is currently the only manufacturer of both types of aircraft after Airbus Defense and Space transferred the entire production process in 2011. (nvn)