MAB Engineering Services (MABES), a fully integrated subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), is making waves in the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector. At the recent MRO Asia Pacific 2024 event in Singapore, which drew over 5,000 industry professionals, MABES secured crucial contracts and forged strategic alliances, showcasing its growth and reinforcing MAG’s dominance in the market.
One of the key highlights was the renewal of the Service Agreement with Piedmont Propulsion Systems, LLC (PPS), a subsidiary of First Aviation Services Inc., based in North Carolina, USA. This extension of their 2020 technological partnership empowers MABES to maintain propellers, including a two-year maintenance contract for Firefly’s ATR72 aircraft propellers. This comprehensive program encompasses thorough inspections, repairs, and replacements, enhancing MABES’s service offerings and bolstering MAG’s overall operations.
Furthermore, MABES has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Meraque Services, a leading provider of drone-based and AI-driven asset management solutions for industries like agriculture, telecommunications, and storage. This collaboration aims to integrate cutting-edge technologies like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGVs), and AI into MABES’s service portfolio. These technologies will be employed in tasks such as aircraft inspections and parts logistics, aiming to reduce downtime, improve maintenance accuracy, and drive digital transformation within the company.
These partnerships exemplify MAG’s strategic vision to position MABES at the forefront of MRO technology and innovation, seizing new opportunities in the sector and improving client service through enhanced operational efficiency. The agreements were formalized by Eke Nazri Rahim, COO of MABES, Paul Bolton, President and CEO of First Aviation Services Inc., and Suria Affandi, COO of Meraque Services.
Eke Nazri Rahim, Chief Operating Officer of MABES, emphasized, “MABES is committed to delivering top-notch services to all our customers, with safety as our utmost priority. As the turboprop fleet is expected to grow by 1.2% over the next 10 years, with ATRs widely used by MAG and other operators in the region, our partnership with PPS positions MABES as a one-stop shop for high-quality, cost-efficient, and fast-turnaround services for turboprop operators. Meanwhile, through our collaboration with Meraque, we aim to enhance workplace safety, reduce costs, and improve work efficiency, reinforcing our unique selling proposition to MAG and third-party customers and further strengthening our capabilities as an MRO provider.”
Paul Bolton, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Aviation Services Inc., stated, “PPS values the relationship we have built with MABES over the past 4 years and are excited to work together to provide a high-quality in-region solution for MAG. PPS recognise the importance of having local propeller maintenance support in SE Asia as the ATR fleet continues to grow, and having a partner as strong as MABES makes perfect sense. Our goal is to use the structure developed to secure the Firefly contract to develop support for the region through full major inspection capability and exchanges.”
Suria Affandi, Chief Operating Officer of Meraque Services, shared, “With the aim to support the expansion of Digitalization Transformation in Aircraft Maintenance, Meraque as a leader in innovative drone-powered solutions through this collaboration, committed in delivering cutting-edge technology to enhance the existing maintenance with bringing the adaptation of our expertise in other industries – telecommunication, telecommunication and logistics in key markets including Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Philippines and across global. Additionally, we are holding part of the objective to train and upskill talents in the solution through our Academy arm emphasizing technology knowledge transfer as the first steps of new revolution in aircraft maintenance.”
