Heli Expo Asia (HEXIA), the largest helicopter industry exhibition in Southeast Asia, which is scheduled to take place at the Cengkareng Heliport, Indonesia’s Tangerang city, Banten province, on June 26-30, 2024, is expected to be attended by 30 exhibitors from five countries.

Tangerang, Banten (Indonesia Window) – Heli Expo Asia (HEXIA), the largest helicopter industry exhibition in Southeast Asia, which is scheduled to take place at the Cengkareng Heliport, Indonesia’s Tangerang city, Banten province, on June 26-30, 2024, is expected to be attended by 30 exhibitors from five countries.

Among the exhibitors who will participate in HEXIA are Bruhat Project Logistics from Singapore; Hammock Helicopter & Hammock Robotics from Malaysia; Deinon Insurance Brokers LLC of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; Helitak Fire Fighting Equipment Pty Ltd and the United Aero Helicopter from Australia; and Southern Cross Aviation and Hillsboro Aero Academy from the United States.

At a press conference in Tangerang, Thursday (June 20), the President Director of HEXIA, T. Iskandar Muda, said that this year's exhibition, which is the second held after 2023, is expected to bring together various global aviation industry players, such as Bell Helicopters, Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo Helicopters, as well as several operators of helicopter flights both from within and outside Indonesia.

Several Letters of Intent (LoI) between business players in the aviation industry will also be signed during HEXIA.

"It is hoped that the Heli Expo Asia exhibition can encourage the helicopter industry sector in Indonesia. In addition, HEXIA also educates people in general about the aviation industry in Indonesia, especially the helicopter industry," he added.

Educational activities at HEXIA 2024 target the younger generation and families through a number of events, including technology and helicopter product exhibitions; Digital Oasis VR Experience where visitors can experience the sensation of controlling a helicopter through virtual reality technology; and Cosplay Copter Trick Shot which features cosplay (costume play) of popular characters from the world of aviation.

In addition, HEXIA 2024 will also hold talk shows and workshops featuring experts and professionals in the aviation sector. They will share experiences and knowledge about the world of aviation, including tips and tricks, especially for young people, who want to deepen this field and pursue a career in the aviation industry as pilots, technicians, or other professions.

"HEXIA 2024 is targeting 50,000 visitors," Iskandar noted, while explaining that visitors can see eight helicopter units that will be displayed during the exhibition, consisting of five civil helicopters and three air force helicopters, as well as those from Basarnas (National SAR Agency) and Air Police.

Apart from that, visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy a 15-minute joy flight in the skies of Tangerang, at a cost of 1,700,000 rupiahs per person.

Indonesian helicopter industry

On the same occasion, the CEO of PT Whitesky Aviation, Denon Prawiraatmadja, explained that HEXIA is an important event in the development of the Indonesian aviation industry.

"Indonesia is an archipelagic country, so that aviation, especially the helicopter industry, is the backbone of Indonesia's development and must be prioritized," he pointed out.

According to him, even though the aviation sector is very important in supporting national development, helicopters are still a luxury mode of transportation in Indonesia.

"In fact, helicopters have a utility function that can support other industrial sectors, such as mining, aerial surveys, and are useful in disaster management missions," the general chairman of the Indonesian National Air Carrier Association (INACA) expounded.

Meanwhile, the number of helicopters in Indonesia is recorded at only hundreds of units, while in Japan and Australia, for comparison, each has more than 1,000 and 2,000 helicopters.

"Therefore, the opportunity for the helicopter aviation industry in Indonesia to grow is very large," Denon noted, while hoping that Heli Expo Asia would continue to receive encouragement from the government, so that later it can make regulations that facilitate helicopter operations and other related matters.

Regarding the development of the aviation industry in Indonesia, Denon said that a group of Indonesian students from a combination of several high educational institutions have succeeded in creating a model of an energy-saving helicopter powered by batteries.

Reporting by Indonesia Window