Ingenieur Vol 80 ingenieur 2019 octoberfinal | Page 53

Aerospace Industry (Source: MIDA) Do You Know? Aero & Aviation Industry By Pang Soo Mooi How the word ‘Aviation’ was coined (Source: Wikipedia) The term aviation, noun of an action, comes from the Latin stem “avis” meaning “bird”, and the suffix “-ation”, meaning action or progress, was coined in 1863 by French pioneer Guillaume Joseph Gabriel de La Landelle (1812–1886) in “Aviation ou Navigation aérienne sans ballons”. The most dangerous airport in the world (Source: Wonderlist) Paro Airport, Bhutan, in the Himalayan Mountains has the most dangerous airport landing. Only eight pilots are qualified to land there. The airport is 1.5 miles above sea level and surrounded by sharp peaks of up to 18,000 ft tall. The runway is just 6,500 ft long, one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level. Passengers flying to this remote region may have to take something to steady their nerves. The tiny airport nestled among the steep mountains of the Himalayas is said to be the most dangerous in the world. The Government has identified Malaysia’s aerospace industry as one of the ‘3+2’ strategic sectors with high growth potential. In recognition of its importance, the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030 was launched during Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2015 in Langkawi, Kedah. Malaysia is currently home to more than 200 aerospace companies comprising both international and local industry players. These include 66 companies involved in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities, 33 companies in aero-manufacturing, 25 companies in education and training, and 11 companies in systems integration, as well as engineering and design. By 2030, the industry is projected to contribute revenues of RM20.4 billion for MRO, RM21.2 billion for aero-manufacturing, and RM13.6 billion for engineering and design services. Malaysia’s goal to make Aerospace number one in Southeast Asia. (Source: NST) Malaysia is eyeing to become Southeast Asia’s leading aerospace nation by 2030, with a targeted annual revenue of RM55.2 billion. Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Darell Leiking said the Government has identified the aerospace sector as one of the new growth industries due to the impressive evolution and enormous future growth of the industry. He said that in 2017, the Malaysian aerospace industry recorded a total revenue of RM13.5 billion, with aerospace manufacturing contributing 48% of the total revenue. “Under the 11 th Malaysia Plan, the Government has identified the aerospace sector as one of the new growth industries for Malaysia. “The positive development has also spurred the Government to view the aerospace industry as a critical sector that offers abundant opportunity for the transfer of advanced technologies in engineering, electronics, composite materials, system integration, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and industry-led Research & Technology,” he said. 51