Bold Vision for National Aircraft Maintenance
The Ministry of Transportation is actively pursuing a major strategic initiative to bolster Indonesia’s aviation sector, with plans to establish six integrated aircraft maintenance centers, officially termed Approved Maintenance Organizations (AMOs), across the archipelago.
This ambitious project aims to create a robust and independent national ecosystem for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services, significantly reducing the country’s reliance on foreign facilities.
Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations, Sokhib Al Rokhman, announced these plans following the 2025 Indonesia Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Summit (IMROS) in Jakarta, emphasizing that this is the “grand design” for a fully integrated MRO network.
These strategically located centers will be situated in Batam, Kertajati, and Budiarto Curug Airport in the western part of Indonesia, Makassar in the central region, and the eastern hubs of Timika and Sentani.
This nationwide distribution is designed to cover the entire country’s needs, providing convenient and efficient service access for all domestic and regional carriers.
The scale of this initiative is intended to position Indonesia as a formidable competitor to established regional MRO leaders, including places like Seletar in Singapore, Malaysia’s Subang Aerospace Park, Thailand’s Don Mueang, and Vietnam’s U-Tapao, transforming the national aviation industry toward greater operational efficiency and self-sufficiency.
Creating Competitive MRO Hubs
Indonesia’s strategy for developing these new centers is directly influenced by successful regional models, specifically adopting an approach similar to Malaysia’s designation of Subang Airport as a special economic zone dedicated to aerospace activities.
According to Sokhib Al Rokhman, similar measures are set to be implemented in key western Indonesia locations like Kertajati and Budiarto Curug to ensure the rapid development of a leading MRO area that is competitive on both a regional and global scale.
The government is committed to providing the foundational elements for this transformation, primarily offering the necessary land and basic infrastructure, which is a critical initial step for attracting large-scale investment.
The financing for the construction and facility development will be sourced entirely through non-state budget investment, leveraging a collaborative scheme that involves both the government and a mix of domestic and international industry players in the aircraft maintenance field.
Development is already progressing in Batam, spearheaded by significant investment from the Lion Group through its subsidiary, Batam Aero Technic (BAT), with the national carrier’s MRO arm, Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF), expected to follow suit and contribute to the growing infrastructure.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi has also pledged to accelerate the preparation of land in Kertajati and Budiarto Curug, demonstrating high-level government support and commitment to this transformative aviation sector project.
Fueling Growth Through Strategic Partnerships
The core of the AMO development plan relies heavily on forging strategic partnerships and attracting significant private sector investment.
This collaborative framework is essential, with the government’s role focused on providing the necessary land and core infrastructure, while the private sector is expected to invest substantially in the specialized facilities and equipment, often through joint ventures with leading global manufacturers.
This model is specifically designed to facilitate high-level cooperation, such as potential alliances between aerospace giants like Boeing and GMF, or Airbus and various local Indonesian firms, mirroring successful collaborative structures already well-established in other regional aviation markets, including Singapore and Thailand.
The Director confirmed that these joint ventures are seen as the key to injecting world-class expertise and technology into the Indonesian aircraft maintenance landscape, rapidly enhancing the quality and capacity of local services.
Furthermore, the AMO centers in the eastern regions of Timika and Sentani have a distinct, specialized focus; they will primarily cater to the maintenance needs of smaller, vital aircraft models, such as the Cessna Caravan and Pilatus.
These light aircraft are indispensable for logistics and passenger transport operations across the often-challenging terrain and remote areas of eastern Indonesia, ensuring that the development addresses the full spectrum of national aviation requirements, from major commercial jets to essential regional utility planes.
