KUALA LUMPUR: ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia, a unit of French business jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation, has officially opened its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Subang Airport here.
The centre, which spans at 149,500 square feet, is the largest business aviation MRO facility in Malaysia.
ExecuJet MRO Services Group president Graeme Duckworth said the company had chosen Malaysia for its MRO expansion due to the forward-thinking government committing to growth and welcoming entrepreneurs and readily-available workforce.
He added that Malaysia also offers ease of operation at Subang Airport, which is known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, and the availability of land in the area.
"For a few years now, Malaysia has been our most successful business within the ExecuJet MRO Services Group, and remains so to this day.
"This facility will of course take it to the next level, and I'm sure it won't be long until we reach capacity, as we play our part in helping Subang airport to strengthen its position as the epicentre for business aviation in Malaysia and beyond," Duckworth said at the MRO centre launch today.
The event was attended by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud, ambassador of France to Malaysia Axel Cruau and other dignitaries and guests.
Dassault Avviation senior vice president of Worldwide Falcon Customer Service and Service Centre Network Jean Kayanakis said the MRO facility supports the company's full range of aircraft namely the Falcon 900, the Falcon 2000, the Falcon 7X and the Falcon 8X as well as the Falcon 10X, which is due to enter into service in 2027.
The facility also caters to other business jet manufacturers such as Bombardier and Gulfstream.
"The reason we invested in ExecuJet MRO activities is because we want to be as close as possible to our customers and continue to provide them with the best experience, both flying our Falcons and getting the excellent support they deserve.
"Being able to provide comprehensive MRO services and customer support in-region and in-country is crucially important. It's a key asset for our sales team and for customers when they're deciding what aircraft to buy," Kayanakis said.
Malaysia was the first market in Asia Pacific for Dassault Aviation Falcon aircraft since 2006 while Kuala Lumpur is the French business jet manufacturer's Asia Pacific headquarters.
The ExecuJet MRO Services Group started in South Africa in 1991 and expanded international over the years to Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and Belgium as well as a franchise in China.
Meanwhile, Loke said the internationally-certified MRO centre strengthens Malaysia's position as a regional centre for MRO and highlights the importance of Asia as a growing business aviation market.
"Having this new purpose-built MRO facility positions Malaysia to capture a larger share of the business aviation MRO market. This new MRO centre perfectly aligns with the Subang Airport Regeneration Plan (SARP)," he said.
Loke also said the SARP would contribute RM216.6 billion gross output, RM93.7 billion value added with 8,000 high valued and highly skilled jobs over 25 years.