AIROD Aerospace Technology Sdn Bhd (AAe) and AIROD Sdn Bhd made waves at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA 2025) with a double announcement that positions the company as both a regional MRO leader and a future-ready innovator. First, AAe signed landmark maintenance agreements with Ascend Airways Malaysia (AAM), Myanmar Airways International (MAI), and Mingalar Aviation Services. Then, AAe and AIROD sealed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Nearthlab Inc. to integrate drone technology into their maintenance operations.
These milestones reflect AIROD’s aggressive push to expand its footprint across Southeast Asia while revolutionizing the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector with AI-powered, drone-assisted inspections.
Major Maintenance Contracts Signal Regional Growth
In a significant step toward expanding its commercial MRO business, AAe signed aircraft maintenance agreements with three aviation players: AAM from Malaysia, and MAI and Mingalar Aviation from Myanmar. Under these agreements, AAe will provide base maintenance for AAM’s Boeing B737 fleet as the airline prepares to launch its ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) operations later this year.
AAM’s CEO, Germal Singh Khera, highlighted the importance of reliability and excellence in choosing AAe as their maintenance partner. “As we gear up for operations, having AAe’s technical strength behind us ensures we stay on track to offer safe and efficient regional ACMI services,” he shared.
Meanwhile, AAe also signed a collaborative agreement with Myanmar Airways International and Mingalar Aviation Services. This partnership includes full-service support from aircraft painting and pre-service inspections to C-checks and line maintenance for seven aircraft, including Airbus A320s and ATR72s. These agreements will take effect once all parties agree on the final check prices.
AAe and Nearthlab Push Drone-Powered MRO Forward
Beyond traditional MRO, AIROD and AAe are taking maintenance to new heights. The signing of two MOUs with Nearthlab Inc., a pioneer in autonomous drone technology, promises to bring cutting-edge inspection solutions to Malaysia’s aerospace industry.
The partnership between AIROD and Nearthlab focuses on automating visual aircraft inspections. By using drones equipped with thermal imaging and 3D modeling, the companies aim to speed up inspections, reduce human error, and enhance safety standards. At the same time, AAe’s collaboration with Nearthlab will delve deeper into AI-driven analytics, predictive maintenance models, and digital twin simulations for smarter decision-making.
“We’re excited to partner with Nearthlab and adopt drone-based MRO solutions,” said Datuk Firhad Uzir bin Abdul Rahim, Director of AIROD and AAe. “This will allow us to improve our inspection precision and reduce turnaround time for clients across the ASEAN region.”
MRO Innovation Meets Regional Collaboration
These back-to-back announcements reinforce AIROD’s position as a regional powerhouse in aerospace services while setting the tone for the future of aircraft inspections. With traditional maintenance services expanding across borders and digital technologies shaping next-generation solutions, AIROD is clearly charting a forward-thinking course.
As the aerospace industry continues to grow in complexity and competition, players like AIROD that blend operational excellence with innovation are best positioned to lead. Whether it’s maintaining fleets across ASEAN or deploying autonomous drones for smarter inspections, the company is proving that the future of aerospace maintenance has already taken off.
