FRANKFURT, July 6 — Malaysia’s participation in the Paris Air Show recently has given a strong boost to the country’s aerospace industry, judging by the number of business-to-business meetings and the prospective business orders expected from the meetings, said Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation trade commissioner Badrul Hilal Hisham.
Some of the big names in Malaysia’s aerospace industry such as Composites Technology Research Malaysia , UMW Aerospace Sdn Bhd, Jecmetal Industries Sdn Bhd, Sapura Aerospace Technologies Sdn Bhd and Curge Advance Sdn Bhd showcased their products and services, including composite materials, parts and components, engineering design services, maintenance, repair and overhaul, as well as satellite applications.
“Let’s not forget that aerospace also has the potential to create jobs and provide livelihood to Malaysians, besides enhancing our exports. By supporting industries like aerospace, Malaysia also contributes, in the final analysis, to improving the living standards of the people by offering them good job opportunities,” Wan Latiff said, adding that the goal was to make Malaysia an aviation hub.
“Also, consider the economic benefits in 2018, aerospace generated total revenue amounting to RM13.3 billion, 48 per cent of which came from aerospace manufacturing and another 40 per cent from MRO work,” he said. Subang-based SPIRIT AeroSystems is ranked among Tier-1 suppliers of aircraft structures, while quite a few supply to the big aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing as Tier-2 suppliers, thus making them the “original suppliers’ suppliers”, to use an industry jargon.