PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has teamed up with South Korea-based Gyeongnam Techno Park (GNTP) and Danish air craft maintenance company Skyways Technics to realise its vision of becoming a global leader in creating airport city.
Towards this end, MAHB has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with GNTP, a South Korean global technology hub that aims to establish innovative technology intensive corporations, and Skyways Technics, a company based in Sønderborg and Billund Airport, with over 30 years of maintenance experience in ATR aircrafts.
The signings were held during the International Paris Airshow 2017 at the Malaysian Chalet, Paris Le-Bourget Exhibition Centre yesterday where MAHB had participated through its KLIA Aeropolis initiative.
The MoU between Malaysia Airports and GNTP demonstrates both parties’ commitment towards synergistic inter-park collaboration in the development of Subang Aerotech Park, which focuses of manufacturing (aerostructures, components, tools & jigs) and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for engine and components.
The collaboration is aimed at developing the respective aerospace ecosystems in both countries where possible areas of collaboration will include the establishment of reciprocal and close cooperative system to promote aerospace industries, as well as knowledge building and transfers in cluster management, cluster planning, building and facility management.
It will also serve as platform of information exchange on marketing and promotion activities. As aerospace is one of the key economic areas identified to stimulate our local economy, this collaboration will expand and support the industry’s future growth. Subang Aerotech Park is expected to have spillover effects towards the development of KLIA Aeropolis – an emerging aerospace ecosystem.
The MoU between MAHB and Skyways Technics focuses on collaboration efforts between to facilitate Skyways Technics expansion plan within the Malaysia Airports aerospace ecosystem spanning Subang and KLIA Aeropolis.
The expansion plan will involve further investment to develop Skyways Technics’ facility for its component repair workshop as well as to serve its MRO operations. Skyways Technics is looking at setting-up this facility within the Subang Aerotech Park Phase 1.
The facility will be located at the former Customs building and will serve as their repair workshop, warehouse for spare parts as well as an office base to serve its Asia Pacific (APAC) market segment.
Since 2014, Skyways Technics already has its operations in Subang where it caters to its APAC market specifically for spare parts, component repair, and AOG (aircraft on ground) services for ATR & CRJ aircraft.
MAHB managing director Badlisham Ghazali signed the agreement on behalf of the company while GNTP was represented by CEO Tae-sung Lee and Skyways Technics was represented by CEO Benjamin Nielsen.
Badlisham in a statement said, “Malaysia Airports is pleased to have signed the MoUs with both parties as both companies definitely have the right capacity and experience to help us materialise the goals of KLIA Aeropolis through their expertise, business objectives and service offerings.
“We are confident that the collaboration with these companies will further position Malaysia Airports as a regional key economic enabler.”
He added further that KLIA Aeropolis was poised to capture the growing demands from aerospace industry trends where there has been a significant boom in the national aerospace ecosystem and presence of its players - from only a few players before the year 2000 to over 200 players to date, including renowned first-tier players. Malaysia Airports currently hosts over 20% of these players within its aerospace ecosystem in Subang and KLIA.
“In fact, the confidence level has already grown and can be seen through recent negotiations and agreements we have had with our business partners,” added Badlisham.
The development of KLIA Aeropolis is one of four strategic priorities identified in the Malaysia Airports’ five-year business plan,
Runway to Success 2020 (RtS2020) launched in 2016, and it is the very embodiment of the Malaysia Airports’ vision in becoming a global leader in creating airport cities.