Malaysian aerospace sector to create 19,000 jobs by 2037

The aerospace sector in Malaysia is expected to create around 19,000 new jobs in the next 20 years, according to the Frost & Sullivan’s aerospace and defense team.

In a statement by Frost & Sullivan, the local aerospace sector is projected to grow at an accelerated pace due to expansion in its fleet size and the increasing migration of commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities to the APAC region.

The prediction is based in part on AirAsia group’s indication to venture into the MRO business, as well as the possible resurgence of Malaysia Airlines Engineering.

Nishant Dey, consultant at Frost & Sullivan elaborated on the findings: “More than 13,000 new technician and engineer jobs are expected to be created in the Malaysian commercial MRO space over the 20-year period from 2017 to 2037."

"While approximately 5,800 engineers and technicians were employed in the sector at the end of 2016, the number is forecasted to reach close to 19,000 by 2037. About 90% of these new jobs are for technicians while engineers make up the remaining 10%.”

At the end of 2016, the aerospace manufacturing sector in Malaysia employed about 10,900 people.

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“While this sector is forecasted to grow at a more subdued pace than the MRO sector, the total workforce in the Malaysian manufacturing sector is expected to reach 16,634 over the next 20 years. The total number of new jobs created is estimated to be around 5,734 in the period from 2017 to 2037,” Nishant noted.

Nishant also said that Malaysia could reap the benefits of the aviation industry's highly globalised supply chain and help generate around 19,171 new jobs over the next two decades.

‘Malaysia’s key to success in developing its aerospace manufacturing and MRO industry is its availability of skilled labour. MRO activities are especially reliant on skilled labour as certification and qualifications are a prerequisite for MRO personnel to conduct maintenance and repair activities,” he concluded.

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