Aircraft Service PT Dirgantara Indonesia (ACS PT DI) is set to expand its Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) business by increasing its capacity to service civil aircraft. Previously, the Indonesian aerospace company primarily focused on military aircraft maintenance. According to Ahmad Buchori Muslim, the Quality and Safety Manager—commonly known as Abe—ACS PT DI is collaborating with PT Garuda Maintenance Facility Aero Asia Tbk (GMF) to support its expansion into the civil aviation segment.
“Currently, ACS PT DI—or PT DI’s MRO division—is actively developing civil aviation projects. In reality, most of our projects are still concentrated in the military sector. Going forward, PT DI—especially ACS—intends to grow beyond the military market and enter the civil market to strengthen our competence in civil aircraft projects. One of our efforts is to collaborate with GMF,” Abe told the AviaX team.
Abe explained that the partnership with GMF—Garuda Indonesia’s MRO subsidiary—was driven by GMF’s more extensive experience in civil aircraft maintenance. Through this collaboration, ACS PT DI aims to develop the necessary capabilities in human resources, tools, personnel, and certification processes in accordance with the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation (DKPPU) or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
This is not ACS PT DI’s first venture into civil aircraft maintenance. The state-owned enterprise has long held DGCA certification to maintain Boeing 737 series aircraft. However, Abe stated that the company now plans to expand its services to include Airbus A320 series and ATR72 twin-turboprop regional aircraft.
To grow its presence in the civil aircraft market, Abe acknowledged that ACS PT DI faces several challenges—both internal and external. Internally, the company must prepare adequate resources, tools, and hangar facilities. Externally, it needs to develop strategies to attract civil aviation customers to entrust their aircraft to ACS PT DI for maintenance.
“The challenges we face are quite tangible. Internally, there are many components that we need to address, such as acquiring tools, recruiting and training personnel, and completing hangar facility readiness. We are working to fulfill all of these aspects to 100%,” Abe explained.
“Once we finalize our internal readiness, the next challenge is external—how to attract external or civil aviation customers to bring their aircraft to ACS PT DI for maintenance,” he added.
ACS PT DI targets an increase in civil aircraft maintenance starting in 2025, using its collaboration with GMF as a strategic entry point. In the longer term, ACS PT DI aims to independently handle civil aircraft maintenance without relying on partnerships with other MRO providers.