Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – A CN-235-220 plane manufactured by Indonesian aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia has flown over the Himalayan sky after the aircraft was handed over by the Indonesian Government represented by Indonesian Ambassador to Nepal Rina P Soemarno to the Nepalese Army represented by Brigadier General Kumar Rayamajhi on Tuesday (Nov 19).

The military transport aircraft was ordered by Nepal on June 16, 2017, and is the country's first order to PT Dirgantara Indonesia, according to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's website as quoted by Indonesia Window here on Wednesday.

"The export of CN-235-220 aircraft to Nepal is expected to continue," Ambassador Rina said, adding that this shows the potential of the Nepalese non-traditional market, particularly for Indonesia's strategic industries.

The CN-235-220 aircraft which will be used by the Nepalese Army has five configurations that can be built up in a short time depending on certain demands.

The five configurations are used to transport troops or paratroopers, VIPs, medical evacuations, passengers, and cargos.

This multipurpose aircraft is also very suitable for Nepal which has mountainous geographic contours.

Before the handover of the aircraft to the Nepalese Army, a flight training was conducted by Indonesian pilots led by Capt. Esther Gayatri Saleh as the test pilot and training instructor.

The CN-235-220 aircraft, which had arrived in Nepal in  November 2, 2019, also went through a series of post-delivery inspection processes before being officially handed over to the Nepalese Army.

"The successful export of CN-235-220 aircraft by PT Dirgantara Indonesia is expected to encourage other Indonesian State-owned Enterprises to explore the potential of the Nepal market," Ambassador Rina said.

Nepal is currently intensively carrying out developments in various fields including roads, railways, international airports, and infrastructures for tourism.

"This is a very good opportunity for Indonesian State-owned Enterprises. If Indonesia is late entering the Nepalese market now, the competition to enter it will be even tougher in the future," she said.

The ambassador pointed out that the Indonesian Embassy in Kathmandu continued to encourage efforts to make Indonesian products enter the Nepalese market by strengthening economic diplomacy.

In early November 2019, the Indonesian Embassy brought an SOEs delegation to meet the Nepalese Minister of Industry, Trade and Procurement, and the Head of the Nepalese Investment Agency to see the market and investment potentials in strategic development projects in the country.

Reporting by Indonesia Window