Kuala Lumpur-based MRO provider Asia Digital Engineering is planning to expand into Bahrain, the Philippines and Thailand following record quarterly growth in the final three months of 2025.
Revenue for the quarter was 247 million Malaysian ringgits ($64 million), up 31% year over year and representing about a quarter of total sales for parent group Capital A, which has now fully divested the AirAsia airlines from its business and now focuses on logistics, travel bookings and inflight catering, in addition to maintenance.
At Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), sales growth was driven by increased heavy maintenance capacity as the company expanded to 16 operational lines by year-end, allowing it to almost double its number of base checks for the year.
These also included third-party work for customers including Air France, while ADE is targeting an external sales contrition—meaning from non-AirAsia airlines—of 11% this year. ADE’s revenue for the full year climbed 25% to 894 million ringgits.
The company says it hopes to open its ADE Thailand facility in2027 and that a Bahrain facility will allow it to tap the European airline market, as other Gulf-based MRO providers such as Joramco have done.
“ADE is entering its next phase of growth from a position of strength. We are finalizing a $100 million debt facility to strengthen our capital base and accelerate expansion beyond Malaysia into Thailand, the Philippines and Bahrain—anchored to AirAsia’s Middle East hub and opening access to Europe,” ADE CEO Mahesh Kumar says.
Kumar also notes that ADE is seeking to capture higher-value maintenance work by enhancing its engine and component capabilities on items such as the auxiliary power unit, radome, landing gear, engine and engine nacelle through partnerships and joint ventures in the region.
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