France's Safran pumps €136mil into Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: French aerospace group Safran Landing Systems is investing €136 million (about RM640 million) to expand its manufacturing facility in Sendayan and open a new carbon brake maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre in Nilai, both in Negri Sembilan.
The investments comprise €134 million for the expansion of its Sendayan facility and €2 million for the new MRO centre, which will serve about 100 airline operators across Asia Pacific.
The expanded facilities will support aircraft operated by airlines using Airbus A320, A321 and A350, Boeing 737, 777 and 787, as well as ATR aircraft.
The Sendayan expansion adds 7,000 square metres of manufacturing space, including a new textile production line, carbonisation furnaces and advanced machining equipment.
The facility, which currently employs 160 people, is expected to double its carbon brake disc production capacity by 2028.
The new 1,000-square-metre MRO centre in Nilai is located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport and about 20km from the Sendayan plant, which will supply it with new and refurbished carbon brake discs.
Safran Landing Systems chief executive officer François Bastin said the investments reflected Malaysia's strategic role in the group's global industrial operations and its commitment to supporting the region's aviation growth.
The company plans to increase its Malaysian workforce to 220 employees by 2030 across its manufacturing and MRO operations, strengthening local expertise in aerospace manufacturing and maintenance services.
Malaysian Investment Development Authority chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said the investments reflected Safran's confidence in Malaysia's aerospace industry.
He said the expansion would create long-term economic value, support high-skilled employment and strengthen the country's aerospace capabilities.
Safran has operated in Malaysia for more than 50 years, with its activities evolving from supply and servicing into manufacturing and now, MRO operations.
On sustainability, Safran said its Sendayan facility reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent between 2018 and 2025 through the use of lower-carbon local energy sources and the recovery of process gases.
Additional sustainable energy capacity is planned by 2030 to further reduce emissions.
The investments are part of Safran Landing Systems' broader push to strengthen its Asia Pacific presence, following the inauguration of an expanded landing gear MRO facility in Singapore in September 2026.
