Airbus Helicopters and PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) have reinforced their industrial co-operation to include dedicated support and services for the helicopter fleet of the Indonesian government.
The agreement was signed on 29th March by Airbus Helicopters CEO Guillaume Faury and PTDI President and CEO Budi Santoso in the presence of French Minister of State for Industry Christophe Sirugue.
Under this agreement, Airbus Helicopters and PTDI will jointly develop local support and services capabilities which cover maintenance, repair and overhaul specifically for the growing Airbus Helicopters fleet operated by the Indonesian government.
The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed two years ago. Since then, major maintenance activities have been successfully completed in Indonesia for the Presidential Super Puma aircraft, with dedicated support from Airbus Helicopters in Indonesia.
During the two-year period, PTDI has implemented a robust re-organisation of their processes to consolidate all support and services activities under one roof. The Indonesian industrial partner will also be recognised as Airbus Helicopters’ approved completion centre and services centre, upon successfully passing quality and safety audits.
The decades-long partnership between Airbus Helicopters and PTDI began in the 1970s, with PTDI’s licensed production of the NBO-105 helicopter. Today, the two companies are working together on 11 different helicopter types, including AS565 MBe Panthers for the Indonesian Navy, the first three of which were delivered in November 2016. PTDI is responsible for reassembly and outfitting of these rotorcraft in-country. This covers installation of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) suite which includes a dipping sonar and torpedo launch systems.