KUANTAN, 1 JULY: Pahang wants to build an Aerospace City on a 5,042-hectare plot of land near Gebeng starting next year, with completion scheduled in 2026. The high-impact project, according to Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, will also include the relocation of the existing airport to a new location and assist the 3rd National Physical Plan as a national integrated transit development (air, land, and sea) in the area.
He added that when the project is finished, it will have an international airport as well as world-class aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.
According to him, the market value of the MRO industry in the Asia Pacific region for the next 20 years is predicted to be RM15 trillion, and Pahang is expected to harvest 1% of that, or RM150 billion, for the next 20 years, or RM7.5 billion annually, with the establishment of the City.
“The project will be conducted as a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in collaboration with Pahang Corporation Sdn Bhd (PahangCorp), a state-owned corporation,” he said.
After witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Pahang State Secretariat, represented by state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Sallehuddin Ishak, and PahangCorp chief executive officer Mohd Khusaini Harumaini, he issued a statement to the media.
Wan Rosdy further stated that the Aerospace City will provide industrial sites for aviation-related sectors, which might entice big corporations involved in the manufacture of airplanes and aircraft components to invest.
In addition to serving as the major entryway to East Coast States, the city was built with other economic center features in mind, including as its proximity to the Gebeng industrial sector, Kuantan port, and the East Coast Rail Link.
He also stated that it will generate 50,000 jobs in the aerospace and non-aerospace sectors.
“I hope that the plan to build the Pahang Aerospace City would make the state the first choice for investors looking to invest in the country because of the services offered and the strategic geo-economic aspects on the East Coast,” he said./n
