BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  How This AirAsia Engineer Built a RM574M MRO

How This AirAsia Engineer Built a RM574M MRO

Mahesh Kumar, CEO, Asia Digital Engineering (ADE)

20-Feb-25 10:00

How This AirAsia Engineer Built a RM574M MRO

Asia Digital Engineering (ADE), the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) arm of Capital A, aims to redefine aviation maintenance in Southeast Asia. In this episode of Open For Business, CEO Mahesh Kumar details ADE’s evolution from AirAsia’s in-house engineering team to a full-fledged third-party MRO provider. With a state-of-the-art 14-line hangar at KLIA and expansion into markets including Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines—with plans to enter Thailand and the US—ADE is setting ambitious growth targets. 

Mahesh explains how ADE’s comprehensive services, from line and base maintenance to workshops and digital solutions like AEROTRADE and ELEVADE, are engineered for cost efficiency and rapid turnaround. He also highlights the company’s strategy for boosting third-party revenue through organic growth and strategic M&A, alongside investments in workforce development via training partnerships.
 

Whether you’re in aviation or interested in disruptive business models, this conversation offers insights into navigating a capital-intensive industry and driving sustainable growth in a competitive global landscape.

Produced by: Kishan Sivaswamy

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  technologyCorporates

Tags:  aviation maintenancemro servicesaircraft repairSoutheast Asia aviatondigital engineeringM&A strategy





Play / Pause

Listen now : Talkback Tuesday: Do you think that the internet has largely been a...

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr Sonia Mycak talks about the phone call between Trump and Putin in regards to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Zeckqualine Melai, Teacher & Researcher from the Faculty of Education, Language and Communication from Unimas Sarawak unpacks the broader implications of free tertiary education in Sarawak.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Mirzan Mahathir, Managing Director, Betamek.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Shazrul Ariff Suhaimi of Khazanah Research Institute looks into why 2.1% of jobs remained unfilled, even as Malaysia’s labour market reached 9.1 million in the Q1 2025.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We bring you the latest on Bursa Malaysia and international capital markets.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

People, Planet, Profit

Najah Onn, founder of FashinFidelity discuss Malaysian trends in sustainable fashion.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

How Hotel Owners Lose Money And How to Avoid It

11:00 AM

Marketing Mojo

Beyond Tokenism: How Brands Can Get DEI Right

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Can the Global South Replace the West in Global Trade?

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Mirzan Mahathir, Managing Director, Betamek.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

A Political economist shares his thoughts on IMF’s suggestion to increase retirement age to 70.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

We speak to a health economist about how supermarkets and governments can nudge people to make healthier grocery choices.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Talkback Tuesday

Do you think that the internet has largely been a force for good or bad, in the world? Would you prefer to live without the internet?

8:00 PM

BBC World Service