Ruag Aviation of Switzerland has opened a repair station in Malaysia that will work on components such as starter generators, fuel pumps and lights for a variety of turboprop regional airliners and rotorcraft. Initially, the EASA Part 145-approved facility will support the ATR family of regional airliners, as well as helicopters produced by European airframers Leonardo and Airbus.
The new Ruag Aviation Malaysia (RAM) facility is located on a 24,000-sq-ft site at the International Aerospace Centre in Subang, 18 miles outside Kuala Lumpur. There is provision for an 8,000-sq-ft expansion of an operation that Ruag says is the first of its kind in Asia.
Ruag owns a 65 percent stake in RAM with the rest being held by a Malaysian partner that it declined to identify. According to RAM general manager, David Jones, the new facility boosts Ruag's position as a component services hub for aviation customers and OEMs.
In addition to expanding Ruag’s position in the Asian market, the facility—with its ability to repair components—will reduce maintenance turnaround times, Jones said. He estimated that currently there are 300 turboprop aircraft operating in Asia. Globally about 55 percent of Ruag's products and services are for the civil aviation market and 45 percent in the military sector.
Headquartered in the Swiss capital Bern, Ruag's other sites are in Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Australia and the U.S. It produces the 228NG twin turboprop aircraft.