Finnish measurement technology company Vaisala has signed a contract with the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to modernize 14 airports in Indonesia.
The contract, worth €25 million, will improve the airport’s weather systems and equipment to enhance safety and weather resilience and is Vaisala’s largest-ever aviation weather project.
“Flight safety shouldn’t be a privilege. No matter where you live, you should be able to trust that your air travel is protected by state-of-the-art automated weather observation systems,” said Jarkko Sairanen, executive vice president, Meteorology and Environment, Vaisala. “This is especially true in Indonesia, where the tropical climate brings with it thunderstorms and other weather phenomena that have serious implications for the safety of passengers and ground crew.”
The project is funded through the Finnish Public Sector Investment Facility (PIF), a programme that funds projects that comply with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries, and is due to run for three years from 2025.
“The order includes the latest aviation meteorological technology, such as our AviMet Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) to eight airports and a wind shear warning system combining our X-band weather radar and wind lidar to four airports. The project also includes the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s SILAM model, which can be used to predict the movement of ash clouds from volcanic eruptions. This will be a great addition to Indonesian aviation safety as Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which has an estimated 80 active volcanoes,” concludes Siranen.
Indonesia’s aviation market is growing rapidly and investment in airport infrastructure is an important step to stabilise the industry. The country’s largest airports are Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, Bali Ngurah Rai and Surabaya Juanda.
Photo: Vaisala
