Willis Lease Finance eyes Asia-Pacific engine repair growth with new Malaysia centre

Citing Airbus data, Willis said Asia-Pacific off-wing maintenance demand, which includes engine maintenance and repair, was forecast to grow from $37.1 billion in 2025 to $100 billion by 2044, with the region expected to account for nearly half of all new aircraft deliveries over the next 20 years.

The 33,000-square-foot (3,065-square-metre) facility in Johor will employ more than 25 people within two to three years, Willis said. It will initially focus on light maintenance work, known in the industry as "hospital shop" visits, for CFM56 and V2500 engines used on older Airbus and Boeing narrow-bodies, before expanding into the newer CFM LEAP family and Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines.

Construction is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2027, and the centre is designed to scale similarly to the company's existing facilities in Florida and Wales. WLFC declined to disclose the size of the investment.