Vaisala has signed a contract with the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) to supply airport weather systems and equipment to modernize 14 Indonesian airports. The contract’s value is approximately €25m (US$28m) – making it the largest-ever aviation weather project for Vaisala.
€25m aviation weather project
The project will be funded through the Finnish Public Sector Investment Facility (PIF), an instrument governed by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and applicable to projects that comply with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries. It is planned to run for three years and begin in 2025 once the PIF loan agreement is completed and the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given final approval for the funding.
According to information from the US International Trade Administration, Indonesia is the second-fastest-growing aviation market in the world after China based on its aircraft purchases and trade value. Investing in airport infrastructure has been deemed necessary to cater to the rapid development of the country’s aviation industry.
Indonesian storm protection
Jarkko Sairanen, executive vice president of weather and environment at Vaisala, said, “Flight safety should not be a privilege. No matter where you live, you should be able to trust that your air travel is protected by modern automatic weather observation systems. This is especially true in Indonesia, where the tropical climate brings in thunderstorms and other weather events that can severely affect the safety of the passengers and ground personnel alike.”
Sairanen added, “After years of cooperation, this new contract with BMKG is a significant step for Vaisala’s growth in Indonesia. The order includes modern aviation weather technology, including our AviMet Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at eight airports, and a wind shear alert system, combining our X-band weather radars and wind lidars, at four airports. The project also includes the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s SILAM model that can be used for estimating movements of ash clouds from volcanic eruptions. As Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire with an estimated 80 active volcanos, this will be a significant addition to the safety of Indonesian aviation.”
In related news, Vaisala recently signed a contract with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) – a government entity managing aviation services in the state of Kuwait – to provide an airport surface observation system and airport meteorological system to Kuwait International Airport. Click here to read the full story.