Purchase certificate of laboratory airplane causes criticism

International suppliers have emitted stern critics about certain required technical clauses demanded by the tendering process that the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) commissioned abroad, to be able to acquire a laboratory airplane , that  would cost around $11 200 000, since they see these requirements as an effort to tilt the negotiation in favor of a competitor.

Requirements that are being contested, are part of a document that the Organization of International Civil Aviation (ICAO), placed at the disposal of the suppliers. That letter, which consists of 57 pages and 5 sections, detailed technical requirements for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the laboratory airplane  and its automated flight inspection system.

After studying the demands, the Norwegian company Norwegian Special Mission, on April 26, made known through a letter addressed to ICAO that they would not submit a tender, considering that “all the tendering process is tilted in favor of a competitor” and that “the aircraft specification only fits to a Beechcraft plane”.

“These paragraphs address the need for a STC certification and can be understood as the need for the supplier to have the STC before the offering or contract,” says  the company that finally warns that “If a provider claims to have the STC required at this stage, such an statement must be carefully evaluated”.

Ivan Albuja, President of the Andirepresent company, which is distributor of Embraer, revealed that the Brazilian manufacturer has also joined the complaint. “The tendering process has been redirected for the Beechcraft firm to provide the aircraft.”