News
Airbus enhances presence in Malaysia
Oct. 2, 2013, Paris, Fra. - Airbus is set to develop its presence in Malaysia with the expansion of its joint venture maintenance unit Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE) and the establishment of a new Airbus Customer Services Centre.
October 2, 2013 By Carey Fredericks
The developments are the first in a series of
projects that will see the manufacturer increase its footprint in the
fast-growing South East Asian region and provide more support services
for operators of its aircraft.
The initiatives in Malaysia were announced at a
ceremony at the SAE premises at Kuala Lumpur International airport today
to launch construction of a second hangar at the facility. The ceremony
took place in the presence of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib
Razak and was attended by Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO, Airbus.
The new hangar at SAE, which specialises in the
maintenance and overhaul of Airbus single aisle aircraft, will have a
floor area of 13,000 square metres and will be capable of accommodating
three A320 Family aircraft for major maintenance checks. This will be in
addition to the existing hangar, which can accommodate six single aisle
aircraft at any one time.
The new Airbus Customer Services facility, 100 per
cent owned by Airbus, will be located adjacent to SAE. It will be an
expansion of the manufacturer’s global network of offices providing 24/7
specialised major aircraft engineering and repair services. Existing
offices offering this support are located in Toulouse, Wichita and
Beijing.
“The announcements we are making today reflect the
enormous potential we see for the aerospace industry in South East
Asia,” said Fabrice Brégier, President and CEO, Airbus. “With a skilled
talent pool, quality workmanship and competitive cost base, Malaysia is
one of the countries that have the right ingredients to become a key
partner for Airbus. This is in line with our strategy to have a stronger
footprint in international markets and develop our support services for
operators of our aircraft nearer to their home bases.”
The Asia-Pacific region is a core market for Airbus,
accounting for 31 per cent of all orders recorded by the company to
date. Today, there are more than 2,270 Airbus aircraft in service with
98 operators across the region, with another 2,000 on order with
customers for future delivery. This represents 36 per cent of the
company's total backlog, reflecting the importance of the region as the
fastest growing market for new civil aircraft.
