The air force of Burkina Faso has operated the aircraft for five years and so far no complaint about its quality
Bandung, W Java (ANTARA News) - State owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) said it hopes to expand export market for its aircraft to Africa.

Africa is a potential market for aircraft in the next 20 years, company`s spokesman I.P. Windu Nugroho said here on Friday.

Africa is an open market for the products of PT DI including aircraft and aircraft maintenance and PT DI is competitive in quality, Windu said.

He said PT began its first export of CN235 aircraft to Africa in 2007 when a unit of the turboprop plane was exported to Burkina Faso.

"The air force of Burkina Faso has operated the aircraft for five years and so far no complaint about its quality," he said.

Senegal also has imported two units of CN235 aircraft in November 2010 and early 2011 bringing the number of the aircraft to three units in Africa.

Since it started operation in 1976, PT DI has produced more than 300 units of aircraft including fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft

PT DI has produced 102 units of CN-212 planes under license of CASA (now Airbus Military), both of civil and military versions.

PT DI has also produced 122 units of NBO-105 helicopter under license of Germany`s MBB (currently Eurocopter), mostly for the Indonesian military .

It also has produced more than 33 units of NBell-412 helicopter and 7 units of NBell-412 EP under license of Bell Helicopter Textron (USA) and 22 units of Super Puma helicopter under license of France`s Aerospatiale (now Eurocopter).

CN-235 was first produced in cooperation with Spain`s CASA and entered the market in 1986 .

So far production of CN-235 aircraft has reached around 260 units used by various countries

Last month, PTDI delivered 2 units of CN295, an advanced product of CN235 to the Indonesian defense ministry, which has placed order for nine units of the new aircraft.

CN295 is 3 meter longer than CN235 aircraft.

In 2002, PTDI began to receive orders for aircraft components including components for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

The company is now planning to produce N 219 aircraft, a type for intercity flights that could land on a smaller airfield of less than 500 meters long .

N219, which is designed to replace Twin Otter, also could maneuver in mountainous ares like Papua.

According to the Aviation Week, in 2011, Africa needed 770 units of aircraft of various types, jet or turbo propeller planes like CN235.

Africa needs aircraft of the CN235 class most to serve flight between small airports which dominate airports in that continent.

An estimated 130 units of turboprop aircraft are needed in various African countries, Windu quoted the Aviation Week as saying

The Aviation Week said Africa will need around 120 units of 61-120 seat passenger jet plane , and 220 units of 30-120 seat passenger planes in the next 20 years.

The new units of aircraft are needed to replace old one and to serve new routes.
(AS/f001)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
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