Malaysian aircraft maintenance and modification company Airod plans to import Russian aircraft manufacturing technology.
The move could lead to the manufacture in Malaysia of Mil Mi-17 helicopters, as well as the later development of indigenous aircraft types, says Airod. Talks on the subject took place during recent visits to Russia by Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and Airod president Ahmad Johan.
"Our president is talking to a group from the Ulan Ude Mi-17 production centre about bringing manufacturing technology and research and development capabilities into Malaysia. We eventually want to do our own aircraft design and manufacture," says Airod. The company, which is exhibiting at the show, says it also wants to become a maintenance centre for the Mi-17 in South-East Asia.
The Malaysian Fire Department operates two Mi-17s, while the Royal Malaysian Air Force has a long-standing requirement to replace 31 ageing Sikorsky S-61 Nuri helicopters.
Airod says it is also talking to Italy's Alenia about possible further work, including freighter conversions on McDonnell Douglas DC-10s and Boeing MD-11s. "It is also possible that we will be doing Italian air force [Lockheed Martin] C-130 maintenance work, subcontracted from Alenia," it says.
The Malaysian company, a subsidiary of Aerospace Industries Malaysia, employing about 1,200 people, also says that it is close to signing a maintenance contract with Royal Air Cambodge for the Cambodian carrier's Fokker F28 fleet.
Source: Flight International
