Airbus Boosting Services in Asia Pacific

Airbus Boosting Services in Asia Pacific

Sepang Aircraft Engineering (SAE), an MRO center based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, partially owned by Airbus since 2011, has become a fully owned Airbus subsidiary, following the acquisition by Airbus of its remaining shares.

With this acquisition, SAE becomes an integral part of the Airbus Customer Services network and is set to represent a key element of Services by Airbus’ growth strategy in the dynamic Asia Pacific market.

“Since its creation in 2007, SAE has established a strong reputation in the MRO market for on-time and reliable service,” said Laurent Martinez, Head of Services by Airbus. “Our ambition is for SAE to be a leading MRO in the region by becoming an innovation flagship for servicing Airbus commercial aircraft.”

As recently as September 2017, SAE celebrated the opening of a second hangar to deal with increasing demand. The MRO now has a combined floor area of some 50,000 square metres. The first hangar can accommodate up to six single-aisle aircraft or two widebody aircraft, while the second hangar can accommodate two A320 aircraft at any time for major maintenance checks. It also features Malaysia’s first eco-friendly closed-door dedicated paint bay, as well as state-of-the-art workshops for the repair and overhaul of a wide range of aircraft components, including hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

In addition to its commercial aircraft activities, SAE provides spare parts and technical support services to the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s fleet of A400M military airlifters. The facility also houses a major regional inventory of spare parts for Airbus single-aisle and wide-body aircraft for airlines that have selected the Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) total support package for their fleets.

SAE employs some 500 people. Its customers include the AirAsia Group, Cebu Pacific, Indigo, Jetstar Asia, Scoot, Malindo Air, MASWings, and VietJet Air. 

SEPANG Hangar
SEPANG Hangar

HABCO Industries Announces New FAA Repair Station Business – HABCO MRO

HABCO Industries has received certification from the FAA to begin operations as a Certified 14 CFR part 145 FAA Repair Station. The stand-alone business will be called HABCO MRO and offer comprehensive repair for power plant, airframe and limited accessories. There will be additional product categories added in the future as the HABCO MRO business continues to grow and evolve.
“For over 40 years, countless aerospace customers have counted on HABCO to provide them with proven support and test equipment products. Many of these customers have asked us to develop an FAA Service business to support overhaul and repair of products. We’re building on this competency to have a deeper FAA service offering. HABCO MRO is borne out of the market need and request,” stated Jeff Kretzmer, vice president of Sales and Marketing. “We began this journey to gain certification well over a year ago and have worked tirelessly with the FAA to meet all their stringent requirements. We’re excited about what this means for HABCO Industries,” added Kretzmer.
The HABCO MRO business will be located in a separate facility within the HABCO operational footprint. All employees, from inspectors to technicians are totally focused and dedicated on the service aspects of the business. “HABCO MRO represents a major investment for the company. We’re building an employee base to meet the demanding requirements that being an FAA Repair Station entails for the aerospace community. Our plans are to rapidly grow the business,” remarked Brian Montanari, president and CEO.
The initial focus for HABCO MRO is going to be aimed at concentrating on the core competencies of the parent company HABCO Industries that involve the repair of products requiring actuation, pressure and airflow/oil flow. This is the product category where HABCO MRO can add the most value based on years of experience manufacturing and servicing these products.