Air show 1996 sees US$ 4.48 billion deals
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesia Air Show 1996 wound up yesterday on a high note -- a total of US$ 4.48 billion worth of deals were signed during the nine days of the exhibition. And most of the 280 companies from the 22 countries taking part promised to return when Jakarta hosts the air show again in two years time.
State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, who also chairs the organizing committee, said Indonesia will stage the airshow every two years, rather than every 10 years.
In 1998, the scope of the event will be expanded and it will be called the Asia-Pacific Hi-Tech and Aerospace Show. It will be held on the same site: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Habibie is confident that future exhibitions will generate strong interest from foreign companies notwithstanding the fact that Indonesia's neighbors have also been holding air shows on a regular basis.
"The Indonesian show will be different to those staged in Singapore or Langkawi in Malaysia. Indonesia, as the host country, has its own aviation industry and human resources, as well as a growing market," he said.
"We will also cut the space rental fees," he promised, apparently mindful of complaints aired by some participants that the $600 per square-meter were simply exorbitant.
The state-owned aircraft manufacturing company PT IPTN, of which Habibie is president, accounted for $2.73 billion of the $4.48 billion contracts signed at this year's air show.
"The remaining $1.75 billion deals were signed by other companies. Some of them were reluctant to publicly disclose details of the contracts," Habibie said.
The show was inaugurated by President Soeharto on June 22. Most of the contracts were signed when the show was opened strictly for business between June 24 and June 27. The show was opened to the public on Wednesday.
Among the deals inked were the $120 million accord between South Korea and IPTN for the supply of eight military versions of the CN-235 turboprop plane and a $1.6 billion order for 23 Boeing jets by Garuda Indonesia.
IPTN also signed agreements with Hughes Electronics of the U.S. and Daimler-Benz Aerospace of Germany to develop a satellite-based navigation system called Aeronautic Navigation Satellite System.
"We have also approached Australia to supply a number of CN- 235s. But I can't tell you the details yet," Habibie said, adding that discussions would be finalized soon.
Preliminary discussions were also completed between Messier- Dowty, a Franco-British firm, and PT Gapin of Indonesia, for a joint venture to produce landing gears for IPTN's N-250 planes.
The world's three aircraft engine manufacturers, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric, were present at the show, all vying for the lucrative contract to supply the engines for the Boeing jets which Garuda signed with the Seattle-based company.
While the weekdays belonged to the professionals, the air show drew hundreds of thousands of people during the weekend, most hoping for a glimpse of the aerobatics shows.
The toll road leading to the airport was congested both on Saturday and Sunday as spectators, some coming from as far way as Surabaya, Semarang and Bandung, thronged to the site.
"I came here for fun. The aerobatics demos are cool. But I also want to see the N-250, our country's own airplane," said an 11-year boy who came with a group of school friends.
The grassy hillock next to the fence served as a picnic site as families parked their cars there and watched the planes on display from a distance.
"We can enjoy the aerobatics shows from here," one man, who came with his family of five commented.
The throng of people were not always welcomed by the participants who came principally to look for deals.
Adults and children alike fought over the souvenirs -- pins, stickers, posters, anything they could grab -- on display at some of the booths.
Staff at Boeing Co. booth had to toss handfuls of toy-bee souvenirs at the souvenir-hungry crowd. (icn)