With more than 250 Leonardo helicopters operating across South-East Asia, the region hosts a growing fleet of helicopters across many different applications, including offshore energy and Government missions. We spoke to Rueben Aiyyappan, Head of Service Delivery for Leonardo Malaysia.
Rueben Aiyyappan - Head of Service Delivery for Leonardo Malaysia
You work closely with customers in the region every day. What matters most to them in terms of the service we deliver?
"I would say at the top of their priorities is always ensuring that their helicopters remain operational and serviceable at all times. From the perspective of helicopter availability, it is critical that we provide our customers with the highest level of support, whether logistical or technical. This commitment has been a core focus for us since day one, and we neither compromise nor settle for anything less.
"Like much of the world, we faced significant challenges, especially during the initial stages of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, we have made substantial progress by building local stock levels and significantly reducing turnaround times for our repair operations."
How is the Leonardo Malaysia operation evolving?
"There is strong demand for local repair capabilities from operators across the region. In response, we continue to expand and enhance our overall repair services, investing in advanced tools and equipment to support a wide range of complex repairs. One clear area of focus has been the enhancement of our blade repair capabilities, enabling us to provide the same high level of expertise and service available at our Centre of Excellence in Italy, right here in the region.
"Our Blade Repair Centre in Malaysia, which opened in 2020, offers full repair and overhaul capabilities for the Main and Tail Rotor Blades of the AW189 and AW169, complementing our existing repair services for the AW139 and AW109/119 models. This expansion is particularly important given the steady growth of the AW189 and AW169 fleets in the region over recent years. Additionally, we are currently working on broadening our capabilities to include blade repairs for our UK-based products as well.
"Moreover, we have made significant investments in establishing a strong local presence across the countries we support. To name a few, we have Field Service Representatives (FSRs) stationed in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Japan. This demonstrates our commitment to delivering a consistently high level of support to our customers."
What are some of the key developments in the offering to customers in the past few years?
"On the training front, we have made significant investments in synthetic training solutions to provide operators in the region with access to the latest and most effective training technologies. In collaboration with local organizations, we currently offer AW139 simulation training through a state-of-the-art AW139 Level D Full Flight Simulator (FFS). Building on this foundation, we are actively working to expand our simulation capabilities to include the AW189 and AW169 models, further broadening the scope of training options available locally.
"Regarding regulatory approvals, we continue to strengthen our certifications to support a wide range of customer needs. Following our achievement of EASA Part 145 approval in 2019, we secured the Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) approval from the Japanese aviation authorities in 2023. This year, we are targeting FAA approval as well as certification from the Chinese aviation authorities. By the end of the year, we anticipate holding AMO approvals from more than 10 aviation authorities worldwide, underscoring our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality across all markets."
What other capabilities could be added in the next few years?
"In addition to the new aviation authority approvals we are pursuing, we are actively expanding our Blade Repair Centre by relocating to a significantly larger facility. This move is designed to meet the growing global demand, enabling us to handle higher volumes of blade repairs with reduced turnaround times, thereby better serving our customers.
"Similarly, we are planning to expand our Logistics Centre by relocating to a larger facility. This expansion, aimed at increasing local stock holdings, is essential to support the rapid growth of helicopter fleets in the region, particularly as our Malaysian operations play a vital role in providing support to various government entities and agencies. By increasing our local stock capacity, we can ensure timely and efficient service that meets the evolving demands of our customers."
Christian Vanzulli, Head of Customer Support & Services Network
"Being close to our customers is vitally important. So too is delivering consistently high standards of service.
"Whether they operate in Europe, the US, South America, South-East Asia or any other location, our customers should have the same experience when they call on Leonardo for support.
"As our flagship subsidiary, we’re using our experience in Malaysia to inform how we best support our customers elsewhere in the world. We can then tailor that support to the needs of each region, depending on the missions flown by operators, fleet size, operating conditions and so on.
"The creation of Leonardo Malaysia as the company’s single legal entity in the country (replacing AW Malaysia) reflects the desire to deliver world-class service to all Leonardo customers in the region."
At a glance: Leonardo Malaysia
Main capabilities:
- Comprehensive support for civil and dual-use fleets, including A109/119, AW169, AW139, and AW189/AW149 models, as well as their military variants.
- Multiple Part 145 approvals from leading aviation authorities, including CAA Malaysia, EASA, CAA Bangladesh, Laos SSCA, Indonesian DGCA, CAA Philippines, Thai DCA, and JCAB Japan.
- Established permanent presence across key regional markets, with teams in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Japan.
- Extensive and scalable warehouse infrastructure, stocking over 9,000 part numbers valued at more than €60 million.
- Advanced Blade Repair Centre with expanded capabilities to service the entire AW helicopter family, including blades for AW139, AW109/119, AW169, and AW189 models.
- Leonardo Malaysia Training Academy: A state-of-the-art training facility equipped with the latest-generation simulators, providing comprehensive training solutions for both pilots and technicians.
What we offer to customers:
- Sales support
- Helicopter import and reassembly
- Helicopter modification / upgrades / reconfiguration
- Maintenance support
- Field service and technical support
- Support contracts
- Training services
- Product Support Engineering
- 24/7 customer support
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