PETALING JAYA: The Covid-19 pandemic has put Malaysia’s position as a world-class exporter of aircraft parts under threat.

The country is a single source supplier of major parts for Airbus, and is one of the biggest players in aircraft repair and maintenance.

President of Malaysian Aerospace Industry Association, Naguib Mohd Nor, said local manufacturers were working against time to keep the trust of international aircraft and engine manufacturers.

“The backlog of orders for us to manufacture parts is upwards of six years, so one may think that we are not in a rush to complete orders.

“And although we expect some cancellations while the global air travel industry is facing losses, we will still need to deliver on time.

“If we are unable to deliver, aircraft and engine manufacturers will view us as a risk, and try to mitigate it by moving a portion of their orders to other countries.”

Naguib said every month of non-operation causes about RM1 billion in lost revenue.

“The industry is about to restart thanks to the International Trade and Industry Ministry’s support, but we would have lost about three weeks of revenue.”

Naguib added he was uncertain when the aerospace industry would be able to recover, as it is still unclear when the pandemic will subside.

“For the SARS and MERS diseases, industry players took six and 24 months respectively to recover.

“As for Covid-19, we are still uncertain when a vaccine can be produced and air travel resumed.”

However, Naguib said the global aerospace industry was robust, and had bounced back with double digit growth from the aftermath of the SARS and MERS outbreaks.

He said investments and revenue in the sector in the country grew by RM1 billion every year for the past five years.

“We still have a big opportunity to grow as 80% of the global population is yet to experience air travel. Most air travel growth is in developing nations.

“In the next 12 months, industry players must make sure they do not lose their capability to operate, especially when it comes to skilled workers.

“Going forward, all industries, not limited to aerospace, need to look at incorporating high technology and automation, to reduce their vulnerabilities.”

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Virus deals blow to nation’s aircraft parts makers