KUALA LUMPUR: Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) arm of Capital A Bhd, is targeting to expand its hangar capacity to 40 lines in Malaysia over the next three to five years.
ADE chief executive officer Mahesh Kumar said the company now operates 16 line hangars and plans to begin construction of four additional lines by the end of this year.
ADE is in discussions with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which has been supportive of plans to build another 20 line hangars.
“We have not finalised the location yet, but it will definitely be in Malaysia, either at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or another airport.
“So currently we have 16. We want to add another four, which will be 20. On top of that, we want to build another 20 lines and end up with 40 lines,” Mahesh said at the signing ceremony of a long-term agreement with Air France Industries here today.
ADE is also looking beyond hangar expansion to develop component workshops in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“We are directly in touch with the OEMs and they have been very supportive to partner with us to build more component workshops in Malaysia.
“If you ask me, right now, I am at 70 per cent capturing Asean’s market. When I reach 100 per cent, probably in the next two years, that is the target,” he said.
ADE has signed a long-term agreement with Air France to provide heavy maintenance and aircraft modification services.
The agreement was formalised by Mahesh and Air France executive vice-president Géry Mortreux. It was witnessed by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz and French ambassador to Malaysia Axel Cruau.
Under the agreement, ADE will begin conducting heavy maintenance checks on Air France’s Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with the first induction scheduled for October 2025.
Additional checks will follow on a phased basis, marking the start of a broader collaboration between both companies.
These initial aircraft mark the beginning of a broader collaboration, with additional inductions expected in the coming years as the partnership between ADE and Air France continues to expand and deepen.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
