In the wake of the global reset following the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia’s civil aviation industry finds itself at a strategic inflection point. While infrastructure and regulatory reforms have been prioritized to restore and grow the sector, one element remains underdeveloped: the human capital strategy for aviation’s future economy. Specifically, the capacity of Indonesia’s vocational air transport colleges – Perguruan Tinggi Kementerian dan Lembaga (PTKL) Perhubungan Udara – to not only to produce competent job seekers, but also to nurture aviation entrepreneurs.
The prevailing model of vocational education in the air transport sector has been production-centric: prepare pilots, aircraft technicians, air traffic controllers, and airport officers to meet existing job demands. But in today’s interconnected and innovation-driven ecosystem, aviation careers are no longer limited to state-run institutions or legacy carriers. Startups, small-to-medium enterprises, and private service providers are transforming the landscape of air travel, airport services, drone operations, and aerospace logistics.
If PTKLs are to remain relevant, they must pivot from institutions that merely supply labour to those that stimulate entrepreneurship and generate job creators within the aviation value chain.
Aviation Needs More Than Technical Workers
Indonesia’s vast geography, with more than 17,000 islands and hundreds of underserved air routes, presents an unmatched opportunity for aviation-related micro-enterprises. These include:
- Independent MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) workshops in remote regions.
- Drone-based cargo and medical supply services.
- Smart ground handling firms using AI and IoT.
- Startups developing solutions for airport facilitation and air passenger experience.
- Mobile training centres for aviation certification.
- Eco-friendly aviation fuel distribution and recycling businesses.
- Hospitality startups linked to regional airports.
- Air taxi and charter operators in frontier zones.
However, despite the emergence of these needs, most PTKL graduates continue to pursue civil servant or airline positions, lacking the exposure, encouragement, or capability to build businesses of their own. This is not due to a lack of potential, but rather a lack of structural and educational support.
Rethinking Strategy from Technical Training to Entrepreneurial Readiness
To equip students to become aviation entrepreneurs, a multi-pronged transformation must occur across PTKLs. The following four components are essential:
- TNA for Aviation Entrepreneurs: A New Framework
A traditional Training Needs Analysis (TNA) in vocational aviation education identifies skill gaps for predefined jobs. But to support entrepreneurship, TNA must instead uncover market opportunities and entrepreneurial competency gaps.
An updated TNA framework should include:
- Market Opportunity Mapping: Identifying underserved aviation services (e.g., no certified MRO in Eastern Indonesia, unmet logistics needs in Papua, air charter gaps in tourism zones).
- Alumni Profiling: Analysing student aspirations, family business backgrounds, and regional development priorities to identify entrepreneurial inclinations.
- Entrepreneurial Skill Sets: Beyond technical ability, students must develop business model design, financial literacy, risk management, customer acquisition, legal navigation, and digital marketing.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Including DGCA, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, airlines, cargo operators, venture capital, and local governments to ensure relevance and support for future graduates.
This analysis provides the foundational logic for designing curricula, extracurricular activities, mentorship programs, and support systems tailored to entrepreneurial outcomes.
- Curriculum and Syllabus: Merging Aviation Skills with Innovation Mindsets
Once entrepreneurial needs are identified, the next step is curriculum reform. Entrepreneurship must not be an elective; it should be a central educational theme.
a. Core Curriculum Integration
All PTKL diplomas and applied bachelor’s programs should include:
- Aviation Business and Entrepreneurship
- Startup Development in Aviation Ecosystems
- Innovative Aviation Services Design
- Air Transport Economics and Finance
- Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Aviation Enterprises
These modules should be taught not only by academics alone, but also by industry practitioners and entrepreneurs from relevant sectors.
b. Project-Based and Interdisciplinary Learning
Students should be grouped into interdisciplinary teams—combining technical, operational, and management talents—to simulate startup development projects, from ideation to pitching.
Examples include:
- A startup for drone-based medical delivery in Kalimantan.
- A cloud-based platform for small airport operations.
- A mobile MRO toolkit for remote aircraft repair.
c. Capstone Projects as Startup Prototypes
Final-year projects should focus not only on research or simulations, but on testing business feasibility and building minimum viable products (MVPs) in real market conditions.
d. Digital Tools and Entrepreneurial Platforms
PTKLs should subscribe to or develop internal tools such as:
- Business model canvassing apps.
- Aviation startup scenario simulators.
- Marketplace testbeds for B2B aviation services.
- Building a Thriving Aviation Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Curricular change alone is insufficient without ecosystem readiness. PTKLs must act as ecosystem orchestrators, connecting students to real-world resources, networks, and opportunities.
Key pillars of the ecosystem include:
a. Campus-Based Aviation Startup Incubators
Each PTKL should establish an on-campus incubator offering:
- Dedicated space for student startups,
- Coaching from alumni entrepreneurs,
- Legal and regulatory assistance for licensing and certification,
- Investor access and demo days.
b. Strategic Industry Partnerships
Memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with industry players—especially PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (now the unified national airport operator), as well as MRO providers, cargo firms, and digital aviation companies—are critical to pilot student solutions in operational environments.
c. Regulatory and Policy Navigators
PTKLs should create liaison units to help students understand and comply with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulations. These units may also advocate for:
- Regulatory sandboxes to test aviation innovations safely,
- Fast-track approvals for student-led pilot projects.
d. Regional Aviation Innovation Clusters
PTKLs located in strategic regions (e.g., Curug, Medan, Palembang, Surabaya, Makassar, Jayapura, and Banyuwangi, Makassar) can act as innovation anchors, partnering with local governments, chambers of commerce, and tourism boards to stimulate regional air economy clusters.
- Incentivizing Aviation Startups: From Ideas to Implementation
Even with training and ecosystem support, most students will hesitate to take entrepreneurial risks unless there are concrete incentives. A national entrepreneurship push from the Ministry of Transportation, in collaboration with BPSDMP and PTKLs, could include:
a. Seed Capital Grants
Graduates with strong business plans may apply for startup grants between IDR 50–150 million, prioritized for those addressing public service gaps or operating in 3TP areas.
b. Startup Incubation Schemes
Post-graduation programs (12–24 months) should offer:
- Free working space,
- Access to consultants and auditors,
- Business plan revision support,
- Marketing and customer development guidance.
c. Licensing and Certification Subsidies
For graduates seeking to operate drone services, open training centres, or build aviation-related infrastructure, DGCA licensing costs and safety audit fees can be partially or fully subsidized.
d. Access to Airport Facilities and Concessions
Through PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, alumni entrepreneurs could gain:
- Preferential lease rates for kiosks or services at regional airports,
- Access to non-critical airport facilities for startup testing,
- Business-matching programs with existing vendors.
e. Tax and Recognition Incentives
Partnering with the Ministry of Investment (BKPM), new aviation entrepreneurs can access tax holidays, simplified investment permits, or SME priority programs. In civil servant recruitment, entrepreneurial experience might be recognized as valid public service contributions, especially for roles related to PPP (public-private partnership) programs in aviation.
Global Inspiration
Other countries have already adopted aviation entrepreneurship models:
- Singapore Polytechnic partners with Changi Airport to run innovation challenges for students.
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (USA) hosts one of the most active aerospace startup ecosystems globally.
- India’s Drone Shakti and GATI (Gati Shakti) initiatives actively promote airspace innovation combined with youth entrepreneurship in logistics.
Indonesia, with its vast geography and untapped regional markets, can become the next hub of aviation entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia, starting from its own PTKL campuses.
Overcoming Implementation Challenges
| Challenge | Suggested Recommendation |
| Risk-averse students and families | Highlight alumni success stories; host early-stage pitch events |
| Limited entrepreneurial background of academic staff | Recruit mentors from industry; launch “train-the-trainer” programs |
| Bureaucratic curriculum approval | Leverage Merdeka Belajar–Kampus Merdeka flexibility in vocational design |
| Funding constraints | Tap into CSR, public-private partnerships, and diaspora investors |
| Regulatory rigidity | Work with DG |
Conclusion
As Indonesia gears up to lead Southeast Asia’s civil aviation sector, it must invest not only in runways and radar but in people who dare to build businesses, disrupt old models, and connect the archipelago through air.
PTKLs must transition from traditional skill factories to entrepreneurial launchpads. With clear strategy, committed leadership, and stakeholder collaboration, we can empower a generation of aviation entrepreneurs—engineers who build aircraft and companies, air traffic controllers who design new logistics flows, and pilots who navigate not only the skies but also the future of Indonesia’s economy.
In doing so, we transform our airspace from a network of infrastructure into an ecosystem of innovation.
