Its maiden flight was in August 2017 and according to Indonesian Aerospace's CEO at the time, the plane was developed without any foreign assistance and designed from scratch [1] For a direct comparison of its practicality, the aircraft also closely resembles the utility de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter but is equipped with a little more cargo space than the Twin Otter, making it useful for short island to island flights.

[1] In early 2004, IAe was in discussions with Malaysian aerospace companies and was estimating the price of N-219 development at $60–80 million in order to fly a prototype in April 2006 and certify it in August 2007.

[15] At that time it was estimated that at least Rp 200 billion was needed to complete 200 hours of flight tests for certification from the Indonesian Transport Ministry.

[16] Production was forecast in 2019 to start with six aircraft, increasing to 16 in 2020 and 36 per year in a new $90–100 million facility raised through equity participation, private-public partnerships, manufacturing subsidiaries, and joint ventures.

[17] The Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a type certificate on 18 December 2020.

[21] It is claimed that it will have the largest cabin volume in its class (6.50 x 1.82 x 1.70m)[9] and a flexible door system to allow multi-purpose missions for transporting passengers and cargo.

Priced at $5.8-6 million, slightly lower than the Twin Otter, the 190 kn (350 km/h) cruise aircraft is intended for cargo and passenger transport, troop transport, military surveillance, search and rescue, and medevac operations, with a possible amphibian version later.

[16] By October 2018, domestic airline Avistar signed a memorandum of understanding for 20 more while the N219 had 120 orders and was due to be certified in April or May 2019.