AirAsia establishes MRO entity

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd (AirAsia) has formed a wholly-owned entity, Asia Digital Engineering Sdn Bhd (ADE), to provide engineering services for its group of airlines and other commercial airlines in the region.

Group chief executive officer and founder Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said ADE would expand the low-cost carrier’s existing expertise in aircraft engineering.

“It is well positioned to become Asia’s leading data and technology-driven maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service provider for all commercial airlines in the region, starting with the AirAsia group of airlines,” he said in a statement today.

Fernandes said AirAsia’s new business division would offer numerous efficiencies and leverage off its combined 19 years of experience in operating and maintaining a large fleet of over 250 Airbus A320 and A330 family aircraft.

“All AirAsia engineers and MRO assets will be consolidated to provide a centralised technical support service for our fleet of aircraft, and potentially for other commercial airlines in the near future also,” he added.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the formation of ADE as a regional MRO service provider bodes well with the national transport policy, as the government seeks to facilitate the growth of all aviation support services to enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness in air cargo operation.

ADE chief executive officer Mahesh Kumar said the company had received the Aircraft Maintenance Organisation approval by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.

ADE is based at the airline group’s global headquarters RedQ in Sepang.

ADE will embark on the Industry 4.0 digital transformation journey, embracing the future by leveraging on the latest technologies in automation, big data analytics, predictive maintenance, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

This would effectively increase productivity and efficiency while maintaining a high level of safety, quality and airworthiness of the fleet with a target of 10 per cent reduction in maintenance costs.

Source: NST