KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 12): Airbus SE, formerly known as Airbus Group SE, has taken full control of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre Sepang Aircraft Engineering Sdn Bhd (SAE), after acquiring the remaining 60% shares it didn't own in the company.

"With this acquisition, SAE becomes an integral part of the Airbus Customer Services network and is set to represent a key element of services by Airbus' growth strategy in the dynamic Asia Pacific market," it said in a statement today.

Airbus head of service Laurent Martinez said since its creation in 2007, SAE, previously a joint venture unit in which it only held a 40% stake since 2011, has established a strong reputation in the MRO market for on-time and reliable service.

"Our ambition is for SAE to be a leading MRO in the region by becoming an innovation flagship for servicing Airbus commercial aircraft," he said.

As of September 2017, SAE has opened a second hangar to deal with increasing demand. Now the MRO has a combined floor area of some 50,000 square metres.

The first hangar can accommodate up to six single-aisle aircraft or two widebody aircraft, while the second hangar can accommodate two A320 aircraft at any time for major maintenance checks.

SAE also provides spare parts and technical support services to the Royal Malaysian Air Force's fleet of A400M military airlifters.

"The facility also houses a major regional inventory of spare parts for Airbus single-aisle and wide-body aircraft for airlines that have selected the Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) total support package for their fleets," it said.

A leading European aeronautics company, Airbus offers a comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats and business aviation products. It also provides tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft.

Apart from SAE, Airbus Customer Services already has a strong footprint in the region, particularly in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.