MRO provider Aircraft Propeller Service (APS) will be opening a new facility in Malaysia – its first in Asia-Pacific – as it eyes “important growth opportunities” in the region.
The Malaysia facility, which will be ready in early 2025, will be sited in Kuala Lumpur, near the city’s Subang airport. When construction is completed, the facility will span over 47,000 sq ft, with a built-up area of over 30,000 sq ft.
APS president Daniel Colbert says the Malaysia facility will not just provide propeller MRO services, but will be adding “special processes” such as non-destructive testing services, as well as light machining.
He notes that the company “spent a large amount of time” looking for a suitable location in Asia to site the new facility. APS is headquartered in Chicago and has a facility in Sao Paolo in Brazil. It is a licensed propeller MRO facility for Collins Aerospace’s propeller systems, which can be found on popular turboprop platforms such as the ATR family and Saab 340s.
“There is a clearly a need…for an in-region presence to do propeller MRO…for the ATR and [CASA] C-295s. As the sole licensee [for the 568F propeller system]…it was very important - to the OEM, the airframe manufacturers and the operators - to have an in-region presence,” says Colbert, who spoke to FlightGlobal in September.
Key operators of the ATR platform in Asia include the Lion Air Group, Thailand’s Bangkok Airways, and Indian carriers IndiGo and Alliance Air.
Colbert also points out that the number of turboprop aircraft is expected to grow in Asia-Pacific from about 800 currently to over 1,000 over the next 20 years.
“We’re excited about the existing aerospace infrastructure in KL, and what they have to offer in terms of a supplier network,” says Colbert.
APS Asia Pacific managing director Fergus Lopez adds: “Malaysia has got a great number of schools churning out good aerospace talent, and we’ve benefited from that.”
APS has about 30 employees now for its Malaysia facility, who are undergoing training its its USA and Brazil facilities, and is looking to increase its workforce in the near-term.
Lopez says Malaysia will be APS’ regional headquarters, and that the company is looking to build up “satellite facilities” in key markets in Asia-Pacific. It is also looking to add capabilities beyond turboprop MRO, and is eyeing regional jet maintenance in the future.
