TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) will develop an amphibious aircraft called N219. The airplane will have capabilities of taking off and landing on the water surface so that it can be utilized for marine tourism purposes.

PTDI president director Elfien Goentoro said that the amphibious airplane can take off at an airport with minimum infrastructures. He claimed that N219 would reduce the need for investment in airports. “This innovation can reduce the cost of constructing airports,” Elfien said at the Jakarta Convention Center yesterday, Sept. 21.

Read: PT Dirgantara Indonesia Holds Second Trial of N219 Aircraft

With the new airplane, PTDI has set a target to reach the tourist destinations, such as the Wakatobi National Park in Southeast Sulawesi. The tourist destination has the best diving spot with diverse coral species.

“However, the number of tourists visiting Wakatobi is lower than other diving spots because of the flight access and distance issues,” Elfien explained.

The Wakatobi National Park can be reached by taking a commercial flight from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Cengkareng, to Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar. Tourists can continue to trip with N219 to Maranggo Airport in Tomia Island, Wakatobi.

The tourist destination can also be reached from Haluoleo Airport in Kendari to Matohara Airport in Wakatobi.

VINDRY FLORENTIN