No AgustaWestland Helicopter For Indonesian VVIPs, To Use 25 Year Old Super Pumas

Indonesia President Joko Widodo has turned down an Air Force plan to buy new AW101 helicopters for  VVIPs use and instead will continue to use 25 year old Super Puma choppers.

The AgustaWestland AW 101 chopper was “too expensive,” considering current domestic economic conditions.

“After taking into account a variety of factors, the President has decided to invalidate the purchase of the AW101 helicopter,” said Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung yesterday according to Antara News.

Pramono said that Jokowi intended to continue using the current Super Puma helicopter that has been in use for the past 25 years and in the future, the government also planned to buy a spare helicopter that will be partly built in Indonesia.

Air Force chief of staff Air Marshall Agus Supriatna previously planned to purchase three AW101s for use by VVIPs.

Opposition lawmakers and members of the public have slammed the procurement plan, which local news outlets reported would cost US$55 million per helicopter.

Indonesia relies on aircraft and helicopters for connectivity between islands. It continues to use old air assets both in the civilian and military sphere. It  has one of the poorest aviation accident records in the world.