A USD 100 million plant for assembly of the Harbin Y-12F aircraft is under construction at the Alor Setar airport in Kepala Batas, Kedah, Malaysia. Once this facility is completed, Malaysia will become the world’s top distributor of the Y-12F.
The twin-turboprop Y-12F, a multi-utility aircraft of eight tons, is a short take-off and landing aircraft which requires around 540m of unpaved runway. The model of the aircraft Y-12F is a new design of the Y-12E, which received the US Federal Aviation Administration certification in 2016. The aircraft can seat 19 passengers and two pilots, as well as three LD-3 (load device version 3) a pallet-like aluminum airfreight container. This means the Y-12F can host a payload of three tons.
The Manufacturing facility in Malaysia is a joint venture between UA Aerospace Sdn Bhd and AVIC Harbin General Aircraft Industries of China. UA Aerospace’s president expects sales of up to 500 aircraft in the next 8 years, bringing in USD 5 billion in revenue. several ASEAN, African and Middle Eastern countries have expressed interest in placing orders of over 50 aircraft.
(Source: New Straits Times)
