APS eyes further Asia Pacific expansion after opening Malaysia propeller facility

Aviation propeller service provider APS has marked a significant milestone with the official opening of its Kuala Lumpur facility and plans for further expansion across the Asia Pacific region.

Speaking exclusively with AeroTime at the MRO Asia Pacific 2025 event in Singapore, APS President and CEO Dan Colbert said the company’s Malaysian facility, which opened in June 2025, is already processing products for major customers including ATR.

“We’re thrilled that after a number of years, we finally have the facility up and running,” Colbert said. “We are in the region to support our customers and make them more efficient by reducing turnaround times and providing a more cost effective solution for their needs.”

APS, which recently marked 72 years in the industry, is expanding at an opportune time for the region. According to a December 2024 market analysis by consulting firm Skyquest, while North America currently dominates the propeller aircraft market, the Asia Pacific region has emerged as the fastest-growing market for aircraft propeller systems. This is thought to be driven by rapid economic growth, increasing air travel, and expanding regional connectivity.

APS CEO & President Dan Colbert, APS APAC Managing Director Ferguz Lopez with AeroTime APAC Lead Journalist Jean Carmela Lim and AeroTime former CEO Mindaugas GumauskasBuilding the Malaysia facility

Leading the regional expansion is Fergus Lopez, Managing Director for APS Asia Pacific, whose extensive background in the aerospace industry spans work with major companies including StandardAero, Meggitt, Parker Aerospace, and GKN.

Establishing the facility required extensive planning and site evaluation. Lopez and his core leadership team evaluated 39 potential sites before finding the ideal location in Shah Alam, Selangor. 

In an earlier interview with AeroTime, Lopez said: “We wanted a site that projected professionalism and could also accommodate growth. I immediately saw the potential of the building. It was close to a logistics park and away from heavy traffic.”

Within two weeks of joining APS, Lopez hired the company’s HR Manager and Director of Operations. Together, they built a team that is now 100% powered by Malaysian employees. The facility officially opened on June 24, 2025, with a ceremony attended by Colbert, special guests, and officials including Selangor Chief Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Amirudin bin Shari.

“The team exceeded expectations on all fronts, from hiring and qualifying trained technicians, building a state-of-the-art facility, and achieving all necessary aviation regulatory certifications in good timing,” Lopez said.

Since opening, the facility has been actively processing propeller systems for ATR aircraft, with plans to expand its MRO capabilities for additional aircraft types including the Airbus C295 over time.

Competitive advantage

APS is a Collins-authorized repair source for the region and the only provider offering specialized propeller MRO services in the Asia Pacific.

“We are the only one that provides this particular service of MRO for propellers, which gives us a lot of leverage with regards to proprietary repairs and the ability to provide OEM standard MRO services,” Lopez told AeroTime at the MRO APAC event.

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Regional expansion plans

With ATR’s order book projecting another 1,000 aircraft by 2035, APS is committed to continued growth in the region. The Kuala Lumpur facility will serve as the company’s center of excellence, while APS explores additional locations including India and potentially Australia.

“We’re looking at places like India with a huge fleet as a potential to put another facility where we can bring in work and do initial inspections and triage, then send the major inspections and overhaul work back to our center of excellence in KL,” Colbert explained. “But we need to make sure we’re close to the customer.”

Safety culture and operations

Lopez emphasized a culture of open communication and uncompromising safety standards. He encourages direct communication with technicians and regularly walks the facility for safety checks and informal conversations with the team.

“In the aerospace industry, making mistakes has consequences,” Lopez noted. “If you want to work in an organization like APS, you must have a good sense of safety and quality within you.” Because of this, the APS Asia Pacific team has adopted “No Compromises” as its safety tagline.

Industry outlook and AI integration

Both Colbert and Lopez expressed optimism about the industry’s trajectory. Colbert noted that the sector has rebounded to pre-COVID levels and continues to see growth in passenger travel.

On the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in MRO operations, Colbert said AI will be instrumental in maintenance planning, record-keeping, and predictive analytics. 

“When we look at MRO, we look at maintenance planning, maintenance records, and staying on top of things—being more predictive in what operators need and want to keep their fleets in the air. AI can play a very key role now, and it will just continue to grow,” Colbert told AeroTime.

Meanwhile, Lopez emphasized that while AI offers significant advantages in predictive maintenance and real-time data analysis for cost reduction and planning, certain aspects of MRO work remain irreplaceable.

“Some things we need to do the very old-fashioned way – the actual manual labor that goes into things like composite repairs,” Lopez said. “You can never use AI to get those types of repairs accomplished.As APS celebrates over seven decades in the aviation industry, the company’s Asia Pacific expansion positions it to capitalize on the region’s robust growth. With its Malaysia facility operational and plans for further regional expansion underway, APS is poised to meet increasing demand for specialized propeller MRO services while helping shape the future of aviation maintenance in one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets.

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