Indonesian airlines go local
The Jakarta Post reports that the Indonesian govt is considering the use of locally-made airplane parts, Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said Monday. “Indonesia is capable of designing an aircraft and its parts,” Jusman said. Jusman said most national carriers still used foreign-made parts for their airplanes, despite the fact it took longer and was more costly. Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air welcomed the plan to cut operational costs. “The use of local parts in Airbus and Boeing cabins could cut costs by up to 50%,” said Richard Budihadianto, the pres and CEO of Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia.
Given that the Indonesian govt has failed miserably to regulate the domestic airline industry — one that has been banned from EU airspace due to safety concerns, this is not good news.
Prahok @ November 20, 2007