Dassault Aviation said its ExecuJet MRO Services will start operating a newly expanded aircraft repair facility at Subang Airport, about 26 kilometers west of Kuala Lumpur, next month.
Built at a cost of $25 million, the 149,500-square-feet facility will be able to service between 10 to 15 Falcon business jets simultaneously, depending on size, and is six times bigger than before. Execujet employs about 80 people in Malaysia.
“Southeast Asia demand for business jets is growing,” said Carlos Brana, executive vice president for civilian aircraft at Dassault Aviation, in an interview at the Singapore Airshow last week. There have been increasing inquiries about potential purchases of business jets from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, he added.
After many of the region’s commercial airlines cut back on longhaul flights during the pandemic, tycoons and businesses across Asia turned to business jets for intercontinental journeys. Dassault displayed its newest aircraft, the Falcon 6X, at the Singapore Airshow. It has a range of 5,500 nautical miles and can fly non-stop between Singapore and Johannesburg.
Dassault’s latest investment in Malaysia reflects the growing importance of the Southeast Asian region. Last year, the French planemaker moved its Asia Pacific headquarters from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur. Senior executives including Jean-Michel Jacob, president of Dassault Falcon Asia Pacific, are based in the city.
Aside from the new facility in Malaysia, Dassault has repair facilities in Australia and Dubai. More than 100 Falcon business jets are currently operated by companies based in the Asia Pacific. There are more than 2,100 Falcon business jets worldwide, including the Falcon 7X that shuttles pop star Taylor Swift to venues on her Eras Tour Concert.
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