ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia recently completed the country’s first C-inspection on a Dassault Falcon 2000, a major maintenance check with extensive inspections of aircraft structures and systems that company officials said further reinforce Malaysia’s status as an important center for business aviation MRO services in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

It also underscores the fact that APAC operators are opting to have their heavy maintenance performed in the region versus Europe and the U.S. because of international travel restrictions born by the Covid-19 pandemic, they said. The Falcon 2000 and its variants are the most popular Falcons in the region, with more than 40 of the type operated there, according to ExecuJet MRO. In all, there are more than 100 Falcons of all types operated in APAC.

“Operators of Falcons throughout Asia-Pacific have now been entrusting us to maintain their aircraft, being part of the Dassault MRO network,” said Ivan Lim, ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia regional v-p for Asia. “Previously, some of these heavier maintenance inspections tended to be done in North America or Europe, but we are seeing a trend where operators are looking for an in-region solution, more so during this time where border restrictions across different countries could pose serious challenges in the positioning of aircraft.”