SERDANG: Malaysia has significant opportunities to capture higher-value segments of the aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem, building on its established strengths in airframe and base maintenance.
National Aerospace Industry Corporation Malaysia (Naico Malaysia) CEO Shamsul Kamar Abu Samah said the country’s aerospace industry continued to demonstrate strong, resilient growth in 2025, supported by a well-balanced ecosystem spanning manufacturing and services.
MRO remained the industry’s largest segment, contributing about 40% of total aerospace revenue.
Within the MRO segment, airframe and base maintenance accounted for around 40% of activity, followed by engine MRO at 25% and component MRO at 10%, which Shamsul Kamar said is a strong but still developing value chain.
“This composition tells an important story: while Malaysia has established strong capabilities in airframe and base maintenance, there remains a significant opportunity to move further upstream and capture higher-value segments of the aerospace MRO ecosystem,“ he said in his welcoming remarks at the MyAERO Summit 2026 today.
Shamsul Kamar said the industry’s current trajectory reflected Malaysia’s growing maturity as an aerospace hub, underpinned by expanding industry participation and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.
He said this year’s MyAERO Summit, the eighth edition of the national aerospace gathering, is the largest to date, featuring 106 exhibitors representing global aerospace companies, local industry players, startups, academic institutions and government agencies.
“This strong participation demonstrates that Malaysia is not only part of the aerospace conversation, but we are also increasingly shaping it.”
The first day of the three-day summit saw 17 memorandums of understanding exchanged and formalised, which Shamsul Kamar said reflected growing confidence in Malaysia as a strategic aerospace and advanced technology hub.
He said MyAERO Summit has evolved beyond an exhibition into a national platform where industry, government, academia and talent converge to drive partnerships, investments and capability development across the aerospace value chain.
A key feature of this year’s event is the MyAERO Challenge 2026, which Shamsul Kamar said is one of the country’s largest aerospace talent development initiatives.
The programme comprises four competition categories, High School, University, Industry and Open, covering nine challenges in engine design, unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous systems and sustainable aviation.
More than 800 participants from about 20 schools, 20 universities and technical institutions, and seven industry organisations are expected to take part.
Shamsul Kamar said the initiative reflects Naico Malaysia’s belief that talent is developed not only in classrooms but also through competition, innovation, and real-world problem-solving.
He added that the continued support from strategic partners, exhibitors and industry collaborators demonstrates the shared commitment to strengthening Malaysia’s aerospace ecosystem and positioning the country for long-term industry growth.
