BRIEFNOTES

Wiweko Soepono/Foto: Garuda Indonesia

No news were heard since he left Garuda Indonesian Airways late 1984, but on 15 August 2000, Wiweko Soepono (76) who currently is ill, his name was mentioned when Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri on behalf of the state, presented the highest awards to Indonesian prominent figures in commemorating 55^th Indonesian Anniversary.

Wiweko Soepono, the former Garuda President Director and Indonesian aircraft pioneer in the forties, was awarded Bintang Mahaputra Utama, the highest state award along with five other prominents.

Born in Blitar, the same East Java city where world known Anthony Fokker, the founder of Fokker's aircraft was also born , to a close friend Air Vice Marshal (ret.) R.J. Salatun, he commented jokingly: "I will be much happier should the bintang (award) is a bintang film (film star)."

With another Indonesian aircraft pioneer, Nurtanio Pringgoadisurjo, Wiweko built NWG (Nurtanio-Wiweko Glider)-1 based on a Zogling glider for the Indonesian Air Force for recruiting fresh pilots needed by the state. He also design and built a light plane WEL-1 (Wiweko Experimental Lightplane), with 100 percent local components except for the Harley Davidson motocycle engine.

He was also the man behind the two-man cockpit configuration for Airbus A300-B4 aircraft. This lead to the present digital glass-cockpit aircrafts.

For his reputation, Raphael Pura of Asian Wallstreet Journal wrote on March 14, 1980 : "He has won a maverick's reputation as one of the country's most controversial civil servants. He has delivered the goods by insisting that Garuda pays it own way, shocking passengers with full fares for no frills transport, and plowing every rupiah profit into relentless expansion program. People call him stubborn, proud, and aloof, an autocrat who runs the national airline as his personal fiefdom.(ds)

Airbus A310 AWAir/Foto: Angkasa/D.N. Yusuf

The Department of Transportation and Communication restricts foreign shares in scheduled and un-scheduled airlines business. "The fraction of foreign shares ownership in airlines business would be revised, depending on national situation and the foreign capability in focusing to the national interest," explained Secretary General Department of Transportation and Communication, Anwar Suprijadi in Jakarta (Antara, August 16, 2000), regarding the revision of Keppres (Presidential decree) No.96/2000 that consists of Negative Investment List (DNI) for foreigner.

This Keppres is considered to be controversial because it sets boundary to foreign ownership in multi media and airlines business. These two sectors allow 49% maximum share for foreign ownership.

On one occasion, Wahyu Hidayat, the Head of INACA (Indonesia National Air Carrier Association) said that he does not object if the airlines intend to cooperate with foreign investors. However, according some airlines experts, a possibility for foreign investors to invest in airlines business in Indonesia is insignificant due to the unstable economic condition and political situation.

The Director General of Air Communication, Soenaryo Yosopratomo suggested it is better to restrict foreign investment up to 49 percent to protect national air carriers. "This would give a chance to national businessmen to prepare themselves before operating their investment liquid and hi-tech business, and then they will be ready to compete in globalization."(nie/don)

Indonesian Aerospace Incorporated, the new name of IPTN (Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara) was announced officially by President Abdurrahman Wahid August 24, 2000 during his visit to the plant. The Indonesian President suggested the new name in commemorating IPTN's 24^th anniversary August 23.

The change is the third since 24 years ago the Indonesian aircraft industry was founded. Formerly it was named after Indonesian aircraft industry pioneer, Nurtanio Pringgoadisurjo Industri Pesawat Terbang Nurtanio. It was later renamed as Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara during B.J. Habibie's leadership and now renamed again as Indonesian Aerospace Incorporated.

The last few years, the aircraft plant faces difficulties in its operations, especially financial problem after no subsidies were dropped by the government in accordance to IMF pressure and of monetary crisis which hit severely the country.

To date its assets are valued Rp 4,6 trillion in form of 80-acre of land, manufacturing plants and office buildings, and some sophisticated machinaries (Kompas, 24/8/2000). Unfortunately the assets are under BPPN (Indonesian Restructuring Agency) control. And on top of this, there is a possibility of liquidating IPTN due to its huge financial problem.

Agus Heriyanto, Vice Director of IPTN, said to daily Kompas that IPTN performances has been declining since the governmental change in 1998 and the Indonesian unfavorable economic condition.

The anniversary was celebrated very plain only with lunch boxes, no longer very extravagance like in the past during its high peaks. (don)

Goes Private

Soekarno-Hatta airport gate/Foto: Angkasa Pura II

The privatization of PT Angkasa Pura II (PT AP II) is in process. Although the formula is still uncertain, Miskul Firdaus, First Director of PT Angkasa Pura II marked that PT AP II will not sell its shares by Initial Public Offering (IPO), instead it will carry out the selling concession for 30 years period. "We don't sell by IPO, so its asset is still owned by PT AP II." Said Miskul after celebrating the company's 16^th anniversary on August 14, in Jakarta. According to Miskul, this privatization will only cover non-aeronautical sector, and PT AP II is still responsible for the aeronautical business, such as Air Traffic Service (ATS)

To continue this privatization process, it is more likely that the government choose to renegotiate rather than to re-tender, which will be more expensive and taking more time. The interested candidates from the previous dealing process are the cooperation of Schipol Airport and British Airport Authority and the cooperation of Aeroport de Paris and GTM (France). However, it still waits for a minister of state owned Enterprises (BUMN) decree and the interested candidates' response regarding their interest.

PT AP II is one of ten BUMNs that will be privatized in 2000 to complete the 6.5 trillion rupiah of APBN target in BUMN privatization sector. Although it still can not be compared to Sepang Airport in Malaysia or Changi Airport in Singapore, this company is healthy compared to other BUMN. And in the last decade it had never had a loss. The biggest profit contributors are Soekarno-Hatta Airport and Polonia Airport in Medan.(nie/don)

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DAYBREAK - Air Force Captain Agung "Sharky" Sasongkojati took this dramatic photo of F-16 bursting afterburner on daybreak at 05.20 a.m. over Madiun's valley, East Java on 16 August 2000 in commemorating Indonesian 55^th anniversary the next day. AF Major Fachry "Oryx" Adamy, an Acehnese, flew the Madiun based Squardron 3 fly-by-wire fighter at an altitude of 10.000 feet with wingman "Sharky" who took the photo. The loose formation flight was a routine daybreak exercise flight except for the afterburner white flame bursting from the nozzle, symbolizing the commemoration.(ds)