Indonesian commuters for Congo
Aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) announced it has sold five examples of their N219 Nurtanio twin to the Indonesian Setdco Group. The planes will be flown by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The announcement was made shortly before the Bali International Airshow 2024 which took place at I Gusti Ngurah Rai-Bali International Airport near Denpasar from 18 to 21 September.
Although several Letters of Intend have been signed in the past, very few firm orders have been announced. The last one was an order for 25 examples by the Chinese company Linkfield Technologies in November 2023.
The N219 is twin-engine, 19-seater transport aircraft designed for multi-purpose missions in remote areas. It is intended to operate in and out of remote, semi-prepared airstrips, suitable to conditions in Indonesia's archipelago.
The indigenous design was 100 % made by Indonesian engineers. Two prototypes of the N219 were built, registered as PK-XDP and PK-XDT. The maiden flight of the first prototype took place on 16 August 2017. Although slightly slower than its competitor DeHavilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, the N219 has a larger cabin volume, the largest in its class of commuters.
More recently an amphibious version has been developed, even more suited for the operations between Indonesia’s ‘Thousand Islands’. The amphibious N219 cruises at 296 km/h at 10.000 ft. with a range of 231 kms. A take-off from water uses some1400 meters, while it lands within 760 meters.
Photos: PTDI