L-R: Yang Berhormat Tuan Ng Sze Han, Selangor State Executive Councillor for Investment, Trade & Mobility; Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari, the Chief Minister of Selangor; Yang Berusaha professor technologist; Shamsul Kamar Abu Samah, CEO of National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office; and Daniel Colbert, APS CEO.
Aircraft Propeller Service (APS) opened a greenfield MRO in Selangor, Malaysia, on June 24 that will be its center of excellence for propellers as well as its springboard for expansion into other components.
The site initially is offering Collins Aerospace 568F propeller blade overhauls but plans to phase into other propeller components such as hubs, actuators and transfer tubs by the end of the year, says APS CEO Dan Colbert. APS is the only Collins-licensed MRO to overhaul these blades, which fly on ATR 42, ATR 72 and Airbus C295 aircraft.
The company is talking to a few OEMs about potentially adding licensed repairs for actuation or hydraulic components or composite repairs “but we haven’t nailed that down yet,” says Colbert. Discussions are beyond “the initial stages” and companies have exchanged non-disclosure agreements about specific components.
“I expect over the next 6-12 months we’ll introduce things beyond propellers,” says Colbert.
After adding new component capabilities to its Malaysia facility, APS would consider adding them to its Chicago area headquarters or at its Sao Paulo facility, as well.
The company has been considering expanding beyond propellers for “a long time,” building on its OEM-centric support approach and “replicating that success into other components,” the CEO says.
“That’s kind of what we’ve been building for and preparing for, in terms of our staffing, training and investment” in Malaysia, Colbert says.
All its 30 staff there are Malaysian and 20 of them so far have completed APS’ training in the U.S. or Brazil, as well as gained certification in OEM-authorized inspection and repair techniques.
Colbert says APS invested “north of $1 million” in the 30,096-ft.2 facility that houses high-tech machines and tooling.
APS is considering opening a “small feeder shop in India,” as well that would perform basic repairs and “basic triage,” Colbert says. If components needed a major inspection or overhaul, those parts would be sent to its Malaysia center of excellent MRO. “So, we really view this as a much broader Asian presence,” Colbert says.
This couples with ATR’s desire to get into China’s market—it has requested that its suppliers gain Chinese CAAC regulatory approval, he adds. APS’ U.S. facility already has the CAAC approval.
APS’ Malaysia facility gained U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification in April, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia approval in June and European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval is expected in July or August. Additional certifications are expected to follow.
APS evaluated “two or three dozen” places in the region, including Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore before settling on this site. The site in Subang prevailed due to its central Asia-Pacific location, its infrastructure, quality and availability of its workforce, and “ease of doing business,” Colbert says.
ATR will be the Malaysian facility’s largest customer. Colbert says 35-40% of ATR customers’ maintenance is covered through its Global Maintenance Agreement, and APS “has a five-year agreement with the OEM to provide propeller service under that agreement,” he says. Some of the propeller maintenance work performed at APS’ other facilities will transfer to Malaysia. For instance, customer Air New Zealand sends propellers to the U.S. for maintenance but will start transitioning to the Malaysian facility in July.
APS also anticipates winning new customers in the region now that it has a facility there.
Aviation Week’s 2025 civil aviation Fleet & Forecast data pegs the ATR fleet at 1,179 aircraft, of which 38% are based in the Asia-Pacific region.
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