Airbus To Expand Footprint In Malaysia Through New Deals At DSA, NATSEC Asia 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Bernama) --  Airbus is set to expand its defence and space footprint in Malaysia through a series of signings and key announcements scheduled to take place at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2026 exhibitions this week. 

Airbus president for Asia-Pacific Anand Stanley said it will be signing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Boustead Holdings Bhd, Airod Sdn Bhd and Global Turbine Asia Sdn Bhd (GTA). 

He said the three agreements will help foster local skills and expertise through collaboration with Malaysian partners.

“It is a clear reflection of what Airbus stands for in Malaysia. Airbus is a trusted partner offering knowledge sharing and long-term cooperation across every platform we deliver.

“This indicates Airbus's support for Malaysia's National Defence Industry Policy (NDIP),” he said at Airbus’ media briefing in conjunction with the DSA and NATSEC Asia 2026 exhibitions today. 

Meanwhile, Zakir Hamid, head of Asia-Pacific at Airbus Defence and Space, said the collaboration with Boustead will support Malaysia in developing new knowledge and local capabilities in the space domain, while Airod and GTA will be strengthened with enhanced technical, engineering, and digital capabilities.

On Airbus’ market share, Airbus Helicopters head of Asia-Pacific Vincent Dubrule said that in the civil helicopter segment within the Asia-Pacific region (excluding India and China), Airbus leads the market with close to half of the total share -- around 40 to 45 per cent.

Meanwhile, for the military segment, he noted that the region is heavily influenced by the United States due to global geopolitical dynamics, with its market share in military helicopters here standing at roughly 15 per cent.

However, Airbus did not disclose details of the partnerships or the investments involved.

Airbus has over 80 civil, parapublic, and military helicopters in service with national agencies and armed forces, as well as four heavy-lift aircraft and two satellites in Malaysia, namely MEASAT-3b and MEASAT-3d.

As of today, Airbus and Malaysia have been strategic partners for more than 40 years. 

Airbus’ value of procurement is over RM1.5 billion per annum, supporting about 5,000 Malaysian jobs.

-- BERNAMA