SUBANG JAYA (June 9): Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, is investing US$63 million (RM255.8 million) in expanding its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in the Subang Aerotech Park. This expansion quadruples the MRO facility’s footprint from 46,000 to 164,000 square feet.
According to the Collins Aerospace president Irene Markis during the launch event on Tuesday, this expansion makes the Subang MRO facility the largest in the region, with the expansion made to capitalise on the growing aerospace and aviation sector in the region.
“The Asia-Pacific region is currently the fastest-growing aviation segment in the world. 99% of the population in the region has yet to take their first flight… Over the next 20 years, the global fleet is expected to grow from 30,000 to over 45,000 aircraft, with Asia-Pacific as the centre of that expansion,” said Markis.
The expanded MRO facility will be where maintenance, repairs and overhaul of aircraft like the Boeing 787, 777 and Airbus A330, as well as their accompanying systems, will be performed not just for Malaysia and its neighbours, but also beyond.
While the facility itself officially launched on Tuesday, the full transition into this expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Expanding with talent
During a press conference following the launch, Markis said that Malaysia was chosen for this expanded facility due to Collins Aerospace’s over 30 years of experience operating in the country, as well as the openness and adaptability of local talent in terms of working with new technology.
Currently, Collins Aerospace’s Subang MRO facility has about 150 employees. Markis said that this number is expected to grow between 30% to 50% over the next five to 10 years.
To provide Collins Aerospace with the necessary talent for this growth, Minister of Transport Anthony Loke Siew Fook highlighted the recently signed memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Defence to reskill retired personnel, in this case from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, into the workforce.
“We have a ready workforce who have just retired and are in their early 40s who can come to fill these jobs. So bring in more investment, bring more jobs. We will have people ready for you,” said Loke.