Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA) – The Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development has announced that Batam, in Riau Islands, is being primed to become one of Indonesia’s hubs for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.Speaking at the Indonesia MRO Summit here on Tuesday, the ministry’s Deputy Secretary for Connectivity Coordination, Rustam Efendi, considered the development of MRO hubs a strategic move to slash airline operating costs and bolster the country's aviation industry.“Our priority is to establish several key locations as national MRO hubs, specifically Batam, Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar,” Efendi remarked.He underlined that robust connectivity—seamlessly integrating seaports, airports, and industrial zones—remains a critical prerequisite for building a successful MRO ecosystem.To achieve this, the coordinating ministry is aligning cross-sectoral policies to optimize the flow of goods and aviation logistics. Key initiatives include strengthening the National Logistics Ecosystem (NLE), advancing port digitalization, and optimizing airport services.The initiative arrives at a critical time for domestic airlines grappling with high operational overheads.The Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations at the Transportation Ministry, Sokhib Al Rokhman, revealed that maintenance currently consumes 16 percent to 20 percent of airline operational costs.”We are working to lower these expenses without compromising flight quality and safety. Steps include lifting certain restrictions on aircraft component imports and introducing a zero percent import duty policy for specific parts,” Rokhman explained.He emphasized that lowering these costs will directly benefit consumers, helping keep airline ticket prices affordable despite ongoing global economic pressures.Batam is uniquely positioned to spearhead this aerospace expansion. Fary Djemy Francis, Deputy for Investment and Business at the Batam Authority (BP Batam), highlighted that Hang Nadim Airport is already anchoring these efforts through Batam Aero Technic (BAT), located within a designated Special Economic Zone (SEZ).The project is targeting an investment influx of approximately Rp16 trillion (US$887.56 million).”Hang Nadim Airport in Batam has the potential to become an aerospace and maintenance center,” Francis said, noting that 100 hectares of land remain available for further MRO and aerospace development.To secure international and domestic investor confidence, BP Batam has pledged to expedite licensing processes and provide strict regulatory certainty, aiming to establish the island as a premier blueprint for Indonesian economic growth.