Aircraft Propeller Services (APS) has opened its first Asia Pacific maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Malaysia, marking a major milestone for the company and for the regional aviation ecosystem. The new facility, which became operational on June 24, 2025, is Southeast Asia’s first propeller repair centre licensed by Collins Aerospace to perform 568F and 247F propeller system repairs and overhauls, powered entirely by Malaysian talent and supported by global expertise.
Establishing the facility required an unprecedented cross-continental collaboration, with experts from the United States and Brazil working alongside Malaysian professionals to ensure the new operation met Collins Aerospace’s stringent original equipment manufacturer (OEM) standards. Specialists from Lake Zurich, Illinois, and Atibaia, Sao Paulo, traveled thousands of miles to transfer knowledge, commission equipment, and train local teams.
The effort brought together experienced professionals whose combined expertise proved critical to the successful launch of APS Malaysia.
Building the foundation in Malaysia
Tuan Azli, Director of Operations at APS Malaysia, joined the company as its second employee and played a central role in selecting the facility location and building operations from the ground up.
“My very first task was to evaluate over 38 sites to decide which one was most suitable and most practical for us,” Azli said. “So that was the first task that I undertook, even though I was still in the UAE at the time.”
Working with APS AP Managing Director Fergus Lopez, Azli helped identify the final location in Shah Alam, Selangor, before leading the hiring of approximately 25 staff for the pioneer team. Training these employees posed a major challenge, as APS is currently the only facility licensed by Collins Aerospace to perform overhauls for the 568F/247F propeller systems.
“APS is the only licensed facility or company by Collins to perform overhaul for the 568F/247F propeller sytems,” Azli explained. “In terms of the present, there is no company within ASEAN that can match APS’ capability.”
Training across continents
To meet certification and operational requirements, APS implemented a multi-phase training strategy. Ten technicians were trained in the United States, while another ten underwent identical training in Brazil, ensuring consistent standards across all locations.
“They talk less, but they learn a lot because it’s hands-on,” Azli noted. “When we perform the work, it has to be according to the CMM— components maintenance manual. So when they conduct the training, there will always be a CMM in front of them, which is aviation language.”
Trainers from the US and Brazil made three extended visits to Malaysia, supporting facility setup, audit preparation, and initial production runs. “We want to give assurance to customers that the product that came out from this facility will be identical to our shop in Brazil and US,” Azli said.
Establishing composite and inspection capabilities
Chris Mays, Composite Blade Lead and Inspector from Illinois with 25 years of experience, made three trips to Malaysia to establish composite operations and train certified staff.
“The first time I was basically helping them set up the shop,” Mays said. “It was pretty empty, so we had to guide them on what tooling they needed and where it should be.”
On his second visit, Mays reorganized workstations, completed quality audits, and prepared the facility for Collins Aerospace licensing. “By the time we left there two weeks later, it was a different shop. Needed items arrived and put in place. And Quality items corrected. Things moved very quickly. It was impressive.”
Reflecting on the collaboration, Mays said: “It was great to come together from opposite sides of the world, from different cultures and backgrounds to achieve this goal. It was a pleasure working with the Malaysian team and I look forward to our future collaborations.”
Knowledge transfer from Brazil
Felipe Franco, APS Brazil Operations Manager, brought valuable experience from the Brazilian facility’s 2016 launch. Over three visits, he helped anticipate technical issues, restore critical machines, train staff, and guide the Malaysian team through their first production runs.
“When APS Brazil opened in 2016, I lived through every challenge of bringing the machines online for the first time,” Franco said. “Because the equipment in Malaysia was practically identical, I could anticipate the issues and help the team avoid delays.”
By the final visit, APS Malaysia completed its first composite blade repairs ahead of schedule. “The Malaysian team executed everything with incredible motivation—and they actually exceeded what we had planned,” Franco said.
“My learning was even greater than what I was able to teach,” he added. “The exchange of ideas, the cultural connection, the teamwork—it was a personal and professional gain for all of us.”
Precision NDT training across time zones
The facility’s nondestructive testing (NDT) capabilities were developed with the support of Orlando Alas, an ASNT NDT Level III inspector from APS Lake Zurich. Alas trained Malaysian technicians in ultrasonic, magnetic particle and liquid penetrant inspection, both in the US and on-site in Malaysia.
“The training has the normal parts— the theoretical parts, then the practical part and the test,” Alas said. “We spent around one week training them.”
He continued to support the team remotely even after production began, ensuring quality and certification requirements were met.
A strategic hub for the Asia Pacific
APS Malaysia officially opened on June 24, 2025, with APS CEO Daniel Colbert and Selangor Chief Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Amirudin bin Shari attending the ceremony. The facility now serves ATR 42/72 and Airbus C295 aircraft and is positioned as a strategic hub for propeller MRO services across the Asia Pacific region.
The project demonstrates how technical excellence, cultural openness, and structured knowledge transfer can transcend geography. Through coordinated global collaboration, APS has delivered OEM-level propeller maintenance capability to Southeast Asia—setting a new benchmark for aviation MRO in the region.
