KUALA LUMPUR: The huge growth of ATR turboprop aircraft market in Asia-Pacific has prompted Skyways Technics, a Denmark-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) specialist, to expand its facility in Malaysia.
Regional Manager (Asia) Lucas Ansinelli said Malaysia offered a great environment for Skyways Technics to further expand its component MRO activities in Asia-Pacific.
“Subang has been our preferred choice since we started here in 2014, and it remains a strategic location which will continue to attract more and more MRO companies,” he told Bernama.
Subang is the company’s first footprint outside Denmark, catering to the Asia-Pacific market specifically for spare parts, component repair, and aircraft on ground services for ATR and CRJ aircraft.
During the Singapore Airshow recently, Skyways Technics signed a partnership agreement with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for the expansion of its facility in Subang.
The new facility, located at the MRO Centre in Subang Aerotech Park, will be ready next month and serve as its regional headquarters.
“We chose Malaysia because it made a lot of sense cost-wise. It is strategically located, and all the facilities around the Subang airport are fantastic for SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
“(In comparison) Singapore has high cost, and no ATR is flying out of Singapore. Subang is actually the base for Firefly, Malindo and MASwings (that operate ATR aircraft). We focus on regional aircraft and support the whole Asia-Pacific region,” Ansinelli said.
Asia-Pacific is ATR’s largest market globally, accounting for over one-third of the global fleet of about 1,200 ATRs.
The company anticipates a demand for some 750 turboprops within the next two decades in the region, excluding China.
The country with the largest number of ATR aircraft in operation is Indonesia with 99 aircraft. Other Asia-Pacific countries in the top 10 globally are Malaysia with 47 aircraft (number five globally), India with 46 aircraft (number six) and Myanmar with 34 (number ten).
In addition, about half of ATR’s order backlog is from operators in Asia-Pacific.
Meanwhile, Subang already boasts a mature aerospace community that is well-known for MRO, fixed-base operator, manufacturing, and training with the presence of world-renowned players.
According to Frost & Sullivan, Malaysia’s MRO sector is expected to grow by 8.45 per cent a year over the next 20 years.
“We are investing a significant amount for the new facility in Subang and are completely renovating the place. We look forward to grow our MRO activities and provide unparalleled support to all our customers,” Ansinelli said.
Skyway Technics supplies services and spare parts to virtually all of Asia-Pacific’s ATR operators, including in countries such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, Myanmar, Japan, the Philippines, and Maldives.
Skyways Technics has over 30 years of experience in the maintenance of ATR aircraft.
“We’ve been approved as ATR partner for the MRO network. Being one of only four companies that have received the approval gives us a lot of credibility in the market as well,” he added. – Bernama