By AFIQ AZIZ / Pic By ISMAIL CHE RUS

Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will start the construction of the Subang maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre next year to service all its customers.

MD Datuk Mohd Badlisham Ghazali said the airport operator has completed the land clearing of the 60- acre (24.28ha) site and the first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2019.

He said the second phase of the Subang Aerotech Park is expected to start in the next two years. “We are seeing incoming demand from our current players as they want to grow bigger, thus creating demand for Tier-2 and Tier-3 players,” he said at a press conference in an update on (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) Aeropolis’ first phase completion — Air Cargo and Logistic — in Sepang yesterday.

Mohd Badlisham said the MAHB project is not part of Asia Aerospace City (AAC), which was proposed by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara).

“We are building it on our own land and AAC will be our neighbour,” he said.

In June, MAHB signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Gyeongnam Technopark (GNTP) and Skyways Technics A/S to collaborate in the development of Subang Aerotech Park, which focuses on manufacturing (aerostructures, components, tools and jigs) and MRO for engine and components.

Skyways Technics is reported to be considering to set up a facility within the Subang Aerotech Park Phase 1.

The collaboration would also see the Subang Aerotech Park having spillover effects on the KLIA Aeropolis project.

The multibillion ringgit KLIA Aeropolis development would further enhance Malaysia’s position as a hub for the aviation sector.

The country’s largest operator of airports is devising the KLIA area, where the nation’s main airport sits, into a bustling aviation centre and drawing investment worth billions from various sectors, including logistics.

Meanwhile, the proposed RM1.7 billion AAC project under Mara has hit a snag, believed to be due to land ownership issue. The Asia Aerospace City was planned to combine education, aerospace services and living quarters.