Tailwinds in private aircraft servicing

ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia personnel in front of the Falcon 8X aircraft, and its facility in Subang which the company had opened in May. – ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia

THERE is increasing demand for business aviation in the region based on the interest and number of aircraft on display at the Selangor Aviation Show held in August.

This is supported by Mordor Intelligence, which states that the South-East Asia business jet market is forecast to reach US$320.32mil this year.

By 2029, it is estimated to reach US$657.46mil at a compound annual growth rate of 15.47%.

As the sector expands, the market is more than ripe to satisfy the needs of private aircraft owners and operators. And it has. In May this year, ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia opened the doors to the largest business aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organisation in Malaysia.

The 149,500 sq ft facility at Subang Airport can accommodate up to 15 medium and large business jets. “Malaysia is a strategic location for regional MRO, and we see growing demand,” says Ivan Lim, regional vice-president, ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia.

Charting a flight plan

ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia has had a footprint in the country since 2009 when it operated a 10,000 sq ft facility with a small team performing mostly line maintenance.

Seven years later, the company expanded to a 64,000 sq ft leased hangar. “This was a period of high growth for us,” adds Lim. In 2019, Dassault Aviation acquired ExecuJet MRO Services group, which paved the way for a new purpose-built MRO facility in Malaysia.

“We already had plans to expand for a new facility in Malaysia to cater to the sector’s growth by increasing capacity and capability,” he says.

The larger custom-designed hangar not only increased maintenance services slots but it also allowed the company to offer additional MRO services.

Customers can now leverage ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia for heavy maintenance checks, cabin interior refurbishments, engine changes, satcom installations, avionics upgrades and other advanced modifications for a wide range of business aircraft models.

“We are a multi-OEM MRO facility, meaning that despite being Dassault-owned, we maintain aircraft from other manufacturers such as Bombardier and Gulfstream,” Lim says.

The new MRO facility is timely to capitalise on the growing business jet market regionally and beyond. “Our facility is equipped to perform line and heavy maintenance on all in-production models of Dassault Falcon aircraft, including Falcon 6X, 7X, 8X, 900s, and 2000s as well as a wide range of Gulfstream and Bombardier business aircraft models.

“Our notable certifications include European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the US FAA, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, along with national civil aviation regulators around the world, making us a truly global MRO service provider,” Lim adds.

Ivan Lim, regional vice president, ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia.

Bright skies ahead

It has only been several months since the facility opened but the group already has ambitious expansion plans for Malaysia by continuously increasing services for aircraft maintenance in the region.

The company was recently certified by both EASA and US FAA to perform line maintenance and provide AOG (aircraft-on-ground) support for the new Falcon 6X.

“We will seek approvals to perform heavy maintenance on the aircraft type,” adds Lim. “The US FAA also recently certified us to provide line and heavy maintenance for Gulfstream G650 and G650ER aircraft.”

Lim, however, remains pragmatic about growth opportunities for the segment and where ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia can play an important role.

The company will continue to assess what its clients need and gradually expand by investing in tooling and training to add new product lines. The company is now looking at preparing for the Falcon 10X, which is due for entry into service in 2027.

With new aircraft in the fold along with increasing demand for maintenance, the need for skilled talent remains a top priority. The company is actively recruiting aircraft maintenance engineers and technicians alongside other support staff such as maintenance planners, project managers and supply chain personnel, says Lim.

“We firmly believe that people are our biggest asset, and it is important to invest in people through upskilling and continuous learning and development,” he says.

Nurturing aviation talents

Lim opines that technicians and engineers need to be fully abreast of aviation rules and regulations, products and technology in the market.

“This is imperative for an OEM-owned MRO facility such as ours. For the Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 6X, ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia invested in the training of aircraft maintenance engineers to ensure these aircraft are well supported.”

Lim admits that a primary challenge of the market is the shortage of skilled workers, especially aircraft engineers and technicians.

“We are addressing this challenge through various development initiatives,” Lim explains.

ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia is investing in young talent through apprenticeships and training programmes, helping them acquire skills relevant to the MRO industry.

“These are just some of our efforts to create a pipeline of qualified technicians and engineers.”