KOTA KINABALU The KKIP Aerospace Training Centre (KATC) is expected to receive an RM35 million return on investment (ROI) within five years of its operations.
Its chief executive officer Aminuddin Zakaria said the centre will break even by 2024.
"It can only be materialised if the long term strategic planning of 2021 - 2026 can be accomplished as per plan without having issues with capital expenditure to build the basic infrastructure for future training and programs," he said during Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz's visit to the centre.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz (third left) accompanied by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam (second left) during a tour at the KKIP Aerospace Training Centre (KATC) here. Also present is KATC chief executive officer Aminuddin Zakaria (second right) . - Pic courtesy of Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
Present was Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam, who is also the state Industrial development minister and KKIP Sdn Bhd chairman.
Aminuddin said KATC was started in early 2019 and completed middle 2020 under the 11th Malaysia Plan with investment valued at about RM25 million.
Built on 2.02 hectares of land, the world-class facility can accommodate up to 240 students at any one time.
With seven approved classrooms, six fully equipped workshops, 120 air-conditioned hostel rooms, hangar and cafeteria, it is the "Harvard Business School" of Sabah.
He said that the centre will further explore aviation and non-aviation areas that could create employment for students and mould them to become the "change agent" to improve Sabah's economy in the future.
"To date, KATC has engaged more than 40 organisations, be it private or government agencies, and signed up to eight Memorandum of Understanding.
"Among those agreements are ones with MASwings & SabahAir on student on-job-training, Aerodyne Geospatial on Drone training and operations, Borneo Drone on Air Taxi and NIOSH on Occupational Safety and Health, and with many more to come."
Aminuddin also said that by 2026, KATC aspired to become an Aerospace Technological Company led by a Sabahan.
Source : New Straits Times, By Olivia Miwil - February 13, 2022 @ 3:25pm
