KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s ambition to strengthen its position as a leading aerospace and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub in Southeast Asia took centre stage at MRO Southeast Asia 2026, with Malaysia Airports convening global industry leaders, airlines, OEMs, MRO providers, investors and policymakers in Kuala Lumpur from 13 to 14 May 2026.
Held at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, the conference gathered more than 350 participants from across the global aviation value chain to discuss the next phase of aerospace growth in the region, including supply chain resilience, capacity development, workforce sustainability, digitalisation and the evolving demands of fleet maintenance.
As Asia Pacific’s aviation sector continues to expand, the regional MRO market is projected to exceed USD60 billion by 2030, presenting significant opportunities for Malaysia’s aerospace industry. In line with the Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030, Malaysia is targeting RM55 billion in aerospace industry revenue and the creation of more than 30,000 high-skilled jobs by the end of the decade.
The conference was officiated by Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Sim Tze Tzin, reflecting the growing strategic importance of aerospace and aviation services to Malaysia’s long-term economic and industrial development.
Hosted by Malaysia Airports in collaboration with Aviation Week Network, one of the aviation industry’s leading global intelligence and events platforms, the conference forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration across the aerospace ecosystem and reinforce Malaysia’s role within the regional and global aviation supply chain.
Malaysia Airports Managing Director Dato' Mohd Izani Ghani said the conference reflects the growing importance of Malaysia’s aerospace ecosystem and the need for stronger regional collaboration as aviation demand across Asia Pacific continues to expand, “As aviation growth accelerates across the region, the strength of an MRO hub will increasingly depend on how well the wider ecosystem is connected, from infrastructure and talent development to supply chains, investment facilitation and industry partnerships.
“Malaysia Airports is committed to supporting this growth by strengthening the ecosystem surrounding our airports, particularly across KL International Airport and Subang Airport, where aerospace, aviation services and connectivity continue to evolve in tandem. Conferences such as this create an important platform to bring together global industry players, encourage collaboration and position Malaysia more strongly within the regional aerospace landscape.”
Malaysia Airports’ integrated aerospace ecosystems at KL International Airport (KLIA) and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang Airport) currently host more than 30% of Malaysia’s aerospace operators, collectively contributing nearly RM25 billion, or close to 40%, of the country’s aerospace revenue.
Within KLIA, this ecosystem continues to expand through the development of Selangor Aero Park within KLIA Aeropolis, a 445-acre integrated aerospace and aviation hub supporting MRO, engine test facilities, advanced manufacturing and aerospace supply chain activities. GE Aerospace has been secured as the anchor tenant for the development, with infrastructure works for the first phase currently progressing towards readiness in the first quarter of 2027.
Participants at the conference also visited KLIA Aeropolis as part of the official technical tour programme, providing delegates with a first-hand look at Malaysia’s expanding aerospace ecosystem and long-term development plans surrounding KLIA.
The conference featured speakers and industry leaders from across the global aviation sector, including Airbus, GE Aerospace, MTU Maintenance, KLM Engineering, Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, FL Technics Indonesia and Asia Digital Engineering, reflecting growing international interest in Southeast Asia’s expanding aviation market.
As Malaysia prepares for the next phase of aerospace growth, Malaysia Airports remains committed to strengthening the infrastructure, partnerships and ecosystem needed to support a more connected, competitive and future-ready aviation industry.