October 05th, 2026
PT Dirgantara Indonesia Secures CN-235 Aircraft Maintenance Contract for PNG
Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesian aircraft company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has secured a maintenance contract for one CN235-100 aircraft belonging to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).
The contract covers the execution of a number of maintenance works, including a C-Check inspection, as part of efforts to maintain the aircraft's operational readiness, according to the company's announcement, as reported by Jubi from the website www.airspace-review.com, Saturday (26/9/2026).
The aircraft was previously grounded in 2015. After undergoing maintenance and flight repairs carried out by a PTDI team, the aircraft will return to operation by the end of 2025.
The contract, agreed upon on Tuesday (23/9/2026), follows up on PTDI's technical support for the PNGDF's aircraft, continuing the maintenance process.
On September 23, 2026, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea's Department of Defence officially signed a contract worth more than K30.7 million (around US$6.8 million) with PTDI for Phase Two of the recovery and maintenance program for one CN235-100 aircraft unit (P2-502).
For reference, PNGDF's CN235-100 aircraft was acquired from Airbus Defence & Space (ADS) in 1992.
This collaboration marks PTDI's first step in building MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) support for aircraft, while also opening up opportunities to develop sustained maintenance collaboration.
In the future, there is potential to develop a sustainability program in the form of a three-year MRO package.
PTDI also sees opportunities for MRO support for other CN235-100 units operated by PNGDF (Papua New Guinea Defence Force) as part of developing sustained aircraft maintenance cooperation.
For PTDI, supporting the operation of PNGDF's CN235-100 is part of the company's contribution to building mutually beneficial aerospace industry cooperation between the two countries.
Previously, President Jokowi had also committed to providing renovation assistance for Port Moresby General Hospital, as well as increasing scholarships for Papua New Guinean (PNG) students.
This pledge and commitment were conveyed directly by Jokowi in a bilateral meeting with Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, at the APEC Haus, Port Moresby, on July 5, 2023.
The increase includes full scholarship quotas for students as well as Papua New Guinean Civil Servants (PNS) to pursue studies at various universities in Indonesia.
As of mid-2026, it was recorded that 50 students from PNG were actively studying in Indonesia through this program. (*)
Source: https://jubi.id/nasional-internasional/2026/pt-dirgantara-indonesia-kontrak-perawatan-pesawat-cn-235-png/