Indonesia is looking to expand into Latin America’s aircraft maintenance market, officials said on Thursday, with state-owned aerospace firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) aiming to service older CASA planes still widely used in the region.
Many Latin American countries continue to operate CASA aircraft such as the C-212, originally made by a Spanish company that became part of Airbus Military in 2009. Since then, official maintenance support has declined, creating a gap that Indonesia hopes to fill.
“This opportunity could be seized by PTDI,” Director for American Affairs II at the Foreign Ministry Riris Wusananingdyah said during a press briefing in Jakarta.
She added that PTDI’s subsidiary, PT Nusantara Turbin dan Propulsi (NTP), already has experience working with partners in the region.
To strengthen its outreach, PTDI will take part in the Indonesia–Latin America and Caribbean (INALAC) business mission in São Paulo on Sept. 22–23. The mission will focus on key sectors including aerospace and defense.
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Riris said Indonesian diplomats have helped initiate talks with officials in Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador and Suriname — all of which still use CASA aircraft.
“If we succeed in entering the market, it will show that Indonesia’s aerospace industry is competitive,” she said.
The INALAC 2025 mission will feature 17 Indonesian companies across several industries, including automotive, defense, health, food and energy. The program is designed to boost Indonesia’s industrial presence and brand in Latin America’s emerging markets.
The initiative is part of a broader government strategy to diversify exports and promote Indonesia’s homegrown manufacturing capabilities on the global stage, particularly in sectors with untapped demand like aircraft maintenance.
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Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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