ALOR SETAR: United States planemaker Boeing has renamed its manufacturing facility, now called Boeing Composites Malaysia, located in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah.
Boeing Southeast Asia president Penny Burt said the advanced facility and talented team in Kedah play a vital role in Malaysia’s thriving aerospace industry.
“We are honoured to collaborate with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and recognise Boeing Composites Malaysia’s exceptional safety and quality record,” she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) secretary-general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob said Malaysia needs both speed and scale to accelerate manufacturing practices and proactively develop the country’s aerospace industry.
“MITI, through MIDA and the National Aerospace Industry Corporation (NAICO) Malaysia, is committed to creating an environment that supports rapid industrial growth, particularly in high-value sectors like aerospace.
“I am confident that Boeing has found Malaysia more than capable of supporting the sophistication required to manufacture quality parts for their global customers,” he said.
MIDA chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid expressed his enthusiasm and pride in seeing Malaysia successfully contributing to Boeing’s global operations.
“This is a strong testament to our skilled workforce and our strategic position in the aerospace industry. MIDA is fully committed to supporting Boeing Composites Malaysia’s continued success in the global aerospace supply chain,” he said.
Boeing fully acquired Aerospace Composites Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a joint venture with public industrial materials company Hexcel Corporation, in December 2023.
The facility provides composite products and subassemblies for all Boeing commercial aeroplane models, including the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner, and is Boeing’s first wholly-owned manufacturing facility in Southeast Asia.
The site employs an all-Malaysian workforce of approximately 1,000 people.
Boeing said as part of a series of initiatives to acknowledge Malaysia’s growing capabilities in the sector, it also announced a higher education grant of RM44,000 to Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara in Jitra, Kedah.
The grant is to train 30 students in machining technology and fabrication while guiding them toward employment opportunities in the aerospace industry.
