Selangor mulls expanding aerospace belt

SHAH ALAM: Selangor, which is the main hub for Malaysia’s aerospace and aviation industry, is mulling expanding the state’s dedicated aerospace sites, which currently centred in Sepang, Subang and Serendah (3S), says Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari.

“The existing ‘3S’ needed to be expanded. There are still other lands and space that can be developed (in the state) and I believe we have yet to maximise (the existing land use),” he told reporters after delivering his speech at the townhall session on Selangor Aerospace Action Plan today.

“We have yet to develop the ‘4S’ and there are many (areas to be considered)… we have Semenyih as well as Sekinchan,” he quipped.

During his speech earlier, Amirudin said currently more than 62% of the nation’s aerospace players are located in Selangor, concentrated in the “3S” aerospace belt in the state.

Additionally, he said the state is looking to have more maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), aircraft manufacturing sites, tear down of aircraft, galleys (aircraft interior) as well as positioning the state as a Research and Development Aerospace Centre of Excellence.

“I can share that the state has studied and is strategically weighing its options towards finalising the plans which would involve areas of Subang Airport, Serendah as well as in KLIA, Sepang,” he added.

Furthermore, he said the state is also in discussions with international companies for the relocation of some global companies operations to be relocated in the state.

“The answer to all these actions is due to the fact that 30% of aerospace and aviation activities and demand is coming from the Asia Pacific region and has been growing fast for the last 10 years.

“On the other hand, production of aircraft is only at approximately 600 units per year, worldwide. There are more than 10,000 aircraft orders which are now pending and not to mention the MRO activities, even to the scrapping or tear down of craft i.e. B737, 757, 767 and 747, as well as the Airbus A300,” he said.

During the Budget 2019 presentation, the federal government had announced its proposal to develop a 80-acre plot in Subang as a world-standard aerospace hub.

Source : TheSunDaily