Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation comprising over 17,000 islands, is often described as a country endowed with extraordinary natural wealth yet burdened by persistent poverty and inequality. This tension lies at the heart of Paradoks Indonesia, a compelling treatise authored by President Prabowo Subianto. In it, he articulates a patriotic yet candid diagnosis: our land is rich, but many of our people remain poor; our potential is immense, but our progress is stifled by structural dependence and underdevelopment.
Among the sectors that exemplify this paradox, civil aviation emerges as both a symbol of advancement and a mirror of national fragility. While Indonesia boasts one of the largest domestic aviation markets in the world, the industry remains heavily reliant on foreign capital, technology, expertise, and regulatory frameworks. As Indonesia enters a new political era under Prabowo’s leadership, the moment is ripe to reconceptualize civil aviation—not merely as a driver of economic growth, but as a strategic asset central to overcoming the nation’s developmental paradox.
The Aviation Paradox: Growth without Sovereignty
Over the past two decades, Indonesia’s civil aviation sector has grown dramatically. Airports have been modernized, low-cost carriers have flourished, and millions of Indonesians now travel by air across the archipelago. Yet this rapid growth masks a deeper strategic vulnerability.
First, aircraft acquisition and maintenance are dominated by foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Second, Indonesia’s Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector captures only a small fraction of its potential, with much of the activity outsourced to regional neighbours like Singapore and Malaysia. Third, leasing and insurance arrangements are governed by foreign financial institutions, leaving Indonesian airlines exposed to currency volatility and external regulatory constraints. Lastly, human capital in aviation safety, engineering, and regulatory design remains underdeveloped and insufficient to sustain a sovereign aviation ecosystem.
This is a textbook case of what Prabowo refers to as strategic dependency—a condition where national sovereignty exists in form, but not in function. In aviation, this dependency threatens not only economic competitiveness but also national security and resilience.
Reclaiming Sovereignty through Strategic Sectors
In Paradoks Indonesia, Prabowo argues that a strong nation must control the “commanding heights” of its economy. Civil aviation undoubtedly belongs to this category—vital not just for commerce, but for national connectivity, disaster response, geopolitical presence, and territorial integrity.
To reclaim sovereignty in this domain, Indonesia must undertake a four-pronged strategic transformation:
- Reindustrialize the Aerospace Ecosystem
Civil aviation must be integrated with a national aerospace revitalization strategy centered on PT Dirgantara Indonesia and related industries. Strategic co-production agreements, technology transfer frameworks, and domestic R&D programs should be prioritized. All aircraft procurements should include offset obligations that bolster domestic capabilities in avionics, materials science, and systems engineering.
- Position MRO and Avionics as National Champions
Rather than exporting high-value MRO opportunities, Indonesia should become a regional leader in aviation services. Government-backed investment in MRO infrastructure, tax incentives, and global certifications (e.g., FAA, EASA) are essential to reduce capital leakage and increase domestic value capture.
- Build a Strategic Human Capital Pipeline
Indonesia must cultivate a new cadre of aviation professionals—from engineers and technicians to policy analysts and safety specialists. This requires aligning education and training systems with national strategic interests, under a “doctrine of strategic talent,” rather than leaving them solely to market dynamics.
- Reposition National Flag Carriers as Strategic Instruments
State-owned airlines must transcend their role as commercial entities. They must serve as instruments of national integration, economic lifelines during crises, and vehicles of soft power. Their operations should align with national priorities in connectivity, affordability, and sovereignty.
Connectivity as a National Security Asset
In an archipelagic state where air travel is often the only practical means of connectivity, aviation is not a luxury—it is a strategic necessity. Prabowo’s emphasis on food security, energy sovereignty, and territorial defense aligns directly with aviation-enabled logistics.
Eastern Indonesia, for instance, continues to face infrastructural deficits that discourage commercial airlines from serving it. A Paradoks Indonesia-inspired strategy would involve not only subsidies but a comprehensive policy framework that ensures service continuity, tailors fleet configurations to short runways, and develops infrastructure suited to archipelagic realities.
The state must treat civil aviation as a national integration mechanism—a means to foster unity, promote inclusive development, and mitigate regional disparities.
Strategic Autonomy in the Skies
Beyond economic concerns, civil aviation is a critical pillar of Indonesia’s geopolitical posture. Control over airspace, navigation systems, and aviation surveillance is integral to national sovereignty.
In an age marked by cyber warfare, drone proliferation, and contested airspaces, aviation autonomy is no longer a soft issue. Indonesia must invest in developing autonomous Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, advanced radar capabilities, and interoperable civilian-military surveillance infrastructure.
This dual-use functionality—civilian and defense—embodies the strategic aviation doctrine aligned with Prabowo’s broader vision of total national defense, in which civil and military capacities are harmonized in service of sovereignty.
Breaking the Cycle: From Rentierism to Productivism
A core insight of Paradoks Indonesia is the urgent need to transition from a consumption-based, import-reliant economy to one driven by production and innovation. In the aviation sector, this means breaking the rentier logic of perpetual leasing, outsourcing, and regulatory capture.
Instead, Indonesia must build a productive, sovereign ecosystem: one that generates domestic value, retains technological capabilities, and formulates policy based on long-term national interest rather than short-term commercial pressure.
This paradigm shift is ambitious—but necessary. It requires a capable state, visionary leadership, and patriotic alignment across sectors. Without it, Indonesia’s aviation sector will remain a paradox: vibrant, yet vulnerable; expansive, yet externally controlled.
The Way Forward: A National Blueprint for Aviation Sovereignty
To operationalize the vision of Paradoks Indonesia within the aviation sector, the following roadmap is proposed:
- Develop a National Civil Aviation Sovereignty Strategy (NCASS) that harmonizes economic, technological, and security objectives into a unified framework.
- Establish an Aviation Sovereignty Fund (ASF) to finance R&D, aircraft manufacturing, and strategic aviation infrastructure.
- Mandate Domestic Content Requirements (DCRs) in aviation procurement and airport projects.
- Create a National Aviation Human Capital Council (NAHCC) to lead aviation education reform and skill forecasting.
- Empower aviation-related SOEs and startups through preferential access to capital, defense partnerships, and global collaboration platforms.
Closing: Let Indonesia Soar on Its Own Wings
The future of Indonesian civil aviation is not simply about expanding runways or increasing passenger volumes. It is about asserting national dignity in the skies. As Prabowo contends in Paradoks Indonesia, prosperity without sovereignty is hollow; growth without justice is incomplete.
By reimagining civil aviation as a strategic pillar—economically, technologically, and geopolitically—Indonesia can finally transcend its developmental paradox. The time has come for Indonesia to stop renting its wings and start building them. With political resolve, institutional renewal, and a shared national vision, the skies need not reflect our paradox—they can proclaim our sovereignty.
