Ministry urges Boeing to build component factory in Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Riza urged the US aircraft manufacturing company Boeing to build an aircraft component production facility in Indonesia.

Riza emphasized that Indonesia possesses significant potential in the aerospace industry to help overcome global connectivity and supply chain challenges.

Hence, he advocated for Boeing to enhance its collaboration with Indonesia across various domains, including granting licenses for the aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) industry and building a flight training center in the country.

"One of the (key) potentials (lies) in the MRO sector. Indonesia also has GMF AeroAsia and Batam AeroTechnic, which require capacity development for their industrial ecosystem. We hope Boeing can support us by licensing our MRO," he noted in a statement from his office on Friday.

He offered the industrial areas in Batam and Bintan as potential sites for the factory's construction.

Riza noted that the domestic industrial human resource ecosystem is well-equipped to support the development of the aircraft industry, as evidenced by the capabilities of GMF AeroAsia and Batam Aero Technic in aircraft maintenance.

"In order to increase the capabilities of the MRO industry, we consider the need to partner with Boeing through an MoU agreement," he remarked.

Meanwhile, the ministry's Director General of the Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment, and Electronics Industry, Setia Diarta, stated that the government is also encouraging Boeing to promote the use of environmentally friendly fuels to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation industry.

"The government is committed to reducing carbon emissions in the air transportation sector. We need Boeing's support to realize this commitment," he stated.

On the same occasion, President of Boeing Southeast Asia, Penny Burtt, reaffirmed Boeing's commitment to strengthening collaboration with Indonesia in the commercial aviation sector, considering that the company has been operating in Indonesia for 75 years.