KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The Selangor Aviation Show, which featured static aircraft displays and public participation, will return in 2026, following this year’s shift towards the industry-focused Selangor Aerospace Summit.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari acknowledged the growing interest in the aviation show, which has been held annually since 2021, and said the state now plans to hold the event every two years.
“This year, we changed our focus to a summit to focus on the industry. I think all of our exhibitions and discussions were related to the industry,” he said in a dialogue session with industry players at the Selangor Aerospace Summit (SAS), held in conjunction with the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here today.
“I know we’re quite excited because the number of visitors (to the aviation show) kept growing. Let’s hold the show every two years.
“Next year we will hold the Selangor airshow for the public and industry players, and organise the aerospace summit again in two years’ time to discuss issues related to the industry.”
In December last year, state executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said the fifth Selangor Aviation Show will undergo a rebrand to incorporate more diverse components beyond the traditional showcase.
Later, the state announced the show would be replaced by an indoor summit this year as a SIBS component.
Amirudin said next year’s aviation show will be expanded to place greater emphasis on industries such as unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite technology.
The menteri besar added that Selangor aims to lead drone technology in Southeast Asia and rank among the top five in Asia within the coming years.
“I don’t think it’s too ambitious to say we can achieve up to 70 per cent of Malaysia’s aerospace activity being based in Selangor, from about 67 per cent, with opportunities in emerging industries like drone technology.
“We believe drones are not just for leisure, but play a crucial role in surveillance, management, and defence. We are now exploring this space, and we hope to become the top key player in Southeast Asia, or even among the top five in Asia.”
On the Selangor Aero Park (SAP), which was launched in June, Amirudin expressed confidence that the development of the first phase, covering 80ha, will be completed by the next quarter, before the state proceeds with the second phase involving 161ha.
Separately, Amirudin said Malaysia should explore the possibility of getting local automakers like Proton and Perodua to transition into aerospace manufacturing, noting that many successful countries have made similar shifts from automotive and rail industries into aerospace production.
He cited Honda and Toyota as examples of automakers that have diversified into aerospace manufacturing.
“This is the next challenge for our aerospace blueprint. Maybe in the future, we could even see Proton or Perodua producing their own aircraft.
“We’re still young in this industry, but that also means we have the opportunity to learn from existing companies and gain valuable experience to transform our local automotive sector to participate in aerospace manufacturing,” Amirudin concluded.
