KUALA LUMPUR – Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is upbeat about Malaysia’s quick post-pandemic recovery, with the country poised to record strong air traffic growth in the Asean region, said its Asia-Pacific president Anand Stanley.
“The demand for people to fly will be higher in the region, and (regional) airlines will have a strong role to play – to resume (operations) and meet demand, which will have a strong multiplier effect on the region’s trade and economic activities.
“We at Airbus are prepared (from a) health and safety standpoint, and airlines are also prepared to be able to resume growth,” he told a media round table here today.
On the global front, he said, Airbus sees the pace of recovery picking up quickly, especially in nations like China, India and the United States.
Once domestic travel resumes, he said, there should be the reopening of international borders, at least starting at the Asean level.
As a key country in the region, Malaysia is well-positioned to reap the benefits of a resumption in air travel, he said.
On Airbus’ operations in Malaysia, Stanley said there has yet to be a return to pre-pandemic levels.
Nevertheless, the company is committed to expanding its presence in the country and looking at increasing industrial exposure, he said.
“Our focus today is working with our customers to be ready for the post-pandemic world, to provide solutions to our customers to be successful in the post-pandemic era.
“Once our customers are successful and more people can fly, we believe demand in air traffic will translate into demand for planes,” he said, adding that Airbus had to slash 40% of global production last year.
Malaysia is Airbus’ largest supplier base in Asean, and the third-largest in Asia after China and India.
The firm delivered 566 units of commercial aircraft in 2020. – Bernama, April 7, 2021
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