SINGAPORE—Airbus Defense and Space has signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) to explore providing MRO services for military fixed-wing aircraft to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
The European OEM said in a June 8 statement that the partnership would study how the two could collaborate and leverage each other’s expertise to “advance local MRO capabilities” for military fixed-wing aircraft.
Airbus told Aerospace DAILY the agreement will kickstart the exploration phase and it will now take some time to fully study the feasibility and scope of the potential MRO operation.
BHIC already provides maintenance services for RMAF and Malaysian Navy helicopters, as well as running the Airbus Helicopters Malaysia Simulation Center, which features H225M and AS365 Dauphin simulators.
“Malaysia is Airbus’ largest supplier base in South East Asia and is a key market for us,” Airbus Defense and Space Asia-Pacific chief Johan Pelissier said.
“Today’s MoU signature is a clear demonstration of Airbus’ full commitment to contribute to the country’s development of a self-sustaining aerospace value chain,” Pelissier added.
Aviation Week’s Fleet Data Services shows the RMAF has 16 fixed-wing Airbus aircraft in its stable, including six CN235 and 10 A400M transport aircraft. It also has twelve H225M medium-lift helicopters.
A400M maintenance is carried out by the RMAF with support from Airbus, while heavy maintenance is managed by the manufacturer.
Three of Malaysia’s CN235 transport aircraft are at the tail end of a conversion program by PT Dirgantara in Indonesia, transforming them into dedicated maritime patrol aircraft.
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