Malaysia Airlines & GHIAL, India to set up world class MRO in Hyderabad

Subang (20 August 2008): The sealing of an agreement between Malaysia Airlines and GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited, India has opened up new opportunities for both companies to capitalize on the fast growing aviation market in the Indian subcontinent. With some 300 aircraft in operations currently, the Indian aviation market is one of the fastest growing in the world. More than 200 new aircraft will be headed for India in the next two years, while 2,000 new planes are expected in the next 8-10 years. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding, which will see the establishment of a world class Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisation to provide maintenance services on narrow and wide body aircraft at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad, Hyderabad. Malaysia Airlines was represented by Executive Director/ Chief Financial Officer, Tengku Azmil Zahruddin and GMR Group by Chairman - Airports, Mr Kiran Kumar Grandhi. Also present were Malaysia Airlines Senior General Manager, Engineering & Maintenance (E&M), Mr Mohd Roslan Ismail and GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited, Chief Executive Officer, Mr P.S. Nair. Tengku Azmil said, The timing of this partnership, representing MAS E&Ms first foray into the Indian aircraft maintenance market, is perfect, as the Indian market is experiencing strong aircraft growth with manufacturers bullish on aircraft orders. All the narrow and wide body aircraft requires maintenance but the current MRO providers in India are unable to cope with the requirements. Currently, most of the aircraft are sent to Malaysia and other MRO providers overseas for heavy maintenance. As such, we will be able to capitalize on these opportunities and position the JV company as a leading MRO player in the sub-continent. He added, As the leading MRO is South East Asia with over 36 years of experience, MAS E&M will provide certifications, technical and management expertise in addition to operations and maintenance know-how. We have already commenced by providing technical training to the first batch of 70 Indian trainees. Commenting on the partnership, GHIAL CEO, Mr. Nair said, We are happy to have MAS E&M set up a modern MRO facility at RGIA. This facility, strategically located within close proximity to the three main cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, with modern infrastructure, will be another step towards our endeavor to make the airport an integrated aviation facility for our key business partners. The MRO centre will be able to handle all types of aircraft from light jets to super-jumbos such as the A380, he added.

MAS E&M is the leading MRO and one of the biggest in South East Asia, with strong technical and engineering capabilities. It is a certified MRO organization by 31 National Aviation Authorities of various countries including the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Indias Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation, amongst others. In addition to maintaining Malaysia Airlines, MASKargo, Firefly and MASwings fleet, MAS E&M have more than 80 customers including Lufthansa, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Jet Airways, Qantas, Austrian Airlines, AWAS, RBS and GECAS, one of the worlds largest fleet owners and lessors. - End About GHIAL: GMR-HIAL is a joint venture company promoted by GMR Infrastructure Ltd., (63%); Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (11%), Airports Authority of India (13%) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (13%), with a mandate to develop a world-class international grade airport spread over 5,500 acres in Shamshabad, about 25 kms from the main city of Hyderabad. This project - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is set to position Hyderabad as a prominent player in the global aviation map contributing to the prosperity, development and economic well-being of the region. About Malaysia Airlines Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) Division MAS E&M Division started in 1972 and has over 36 years of experience in the Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) business. With advanced heavy maintenance facilities and 6 fully equipped hangars in KL International Airport and its headoffice in Subang, it manages Malaysia Airlines aircraft fleet that includes B747-400, B777-200, A330-200/300, B737-400. It also provides MRO support for the ATR72, Fokker 50 and Twin Otter aircraft in its subsidiaries, MASwings and Firefly. Among the many services provided are A,B,C,D checks on F50, B737 Classic and NextGeneration, B747 series, A330, A320 families and B777; engineering services including quality assurance, technical services, engineering planning, production planning, aircraft projects, technical training and major aircraft modification. These skilled competencies which are certified by aviation authorities, not only raise Malaysia Airlines visibility as a preferred MRO that offers an array of integrated specialized engineering services but also attract the influx of foreign investment and the creation of specialised and highly aviation workforce among Malaysians.

Jointly issued by: Malaysia Airlines & GMR

For more information, media to contact: Malaysia Airlines Ms Tan Wai Fong, Head, Media Relations, Tel: 603 7840 4504 Fax: 603 78473171 Mobile: 6017 3389075 Email: tanwf@mas.com.my GMR HIAL Mr. Shankar Chelluri, General Manager, Corporate Communications, Tel: +91.994.909.3501 Mr. Sridhar Kumar K, Manager, Corporate Communications, Tel: +91.995.970.0029