KUALA LUMPUR: Automotive leather upholstery maker Pecca Group Bhd (PGB) has become the first Malaysian company to obtain the Production Organisation Approval (POA) C2 certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Pecca's wholly-owned subsidiary, Pecca Aviation Services Sdn Bhd (PASSB), has received the POA certificate from the EASA.
The POA, valid indefinitely unless revoked, certifies that PASSB complies with the European Union regulations.
PASSB is the first and only Malaysian company with an EASA POA C2 certificate holder.
The approved scope of work under the POA certificate is wrapping, cutting, and sewing of leather or fabric for aircraft seat dress, headrests, and armrest covers.
This major milestone opens a new revenue stream, as PGB is now authorised to provide upholstery and aircraft interior repair and refurbishment services for all EASA-registered aircraft.
PGB chief executive officer Foo Ken Nee said the aviation segment is one of the company's key pillars, and the EASA certification will accelerate the segment's revenue growth moving forward.
"The POA certificate will provide us with the platform to connect and serve with all types of aircraft globally registered under the EASA principles and guidelines.
"The certification will enable PASSB to have a competitive edge among the POA industry players in Malaysia, ASEAN and globally.
"This will provide further business opportunities to expand the customer portfolio of PASSB globally, in addition to the existing customer base that only serves Malaysian registered aircraft, including private jets and helicopters, under the CAAM Part 145 AMO C6 rating (Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia)," he said in a statement today.
The POA certificate is expected to contribute positively to PGB's earnings going forward.
With the certification from the EASA, PGB is poised to command better pricing and margin for its aircraft upholstery offerings as compared to the normal car seats it currently manufactures.
In addition, given the fact that there are not many players in the aircraft upholstery manufacturing landscape, this would better position PGB to capture future opportunities in the market.
The aviation team is geared to go full swing to promote PASSB's brand name and services by attending key exhibitions and fairs in the region and globally, such as the upcoming aviation exhibitions in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition LIMA 2023 (May 2023) and in the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany on June 2023.
PGB is also expanding its production capacity to about 40,000 seats per month, compared to 20,000 to 22,000 seats, upon completion of its second manufacturing facility in Serendah.
Earnings-wise, PGB's net profit surged by 40.1 per cent to RM8.41 million for the second quarter of FY23, while revenue rose 18.3 per cent to RM53.48 million year-on-year (YoY).