Spirit AeroSystems Inc., (NYSE:SPR) the world's largest independent supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components, today formally opened its 242,000-square-foot aerospace manufacturing and design facility.

The facility, which will initially produce composite sub-assemblies for Airbus single aisle aircraft, also includes an in-house design engineering team working on developing assemblies for the latest, state-of-the-art Airbus aircraft, the A350 XWB.

"There are a number of reasons Spirit chose Malaysia as the location for a new facility," said Jeff Turner, President and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. "I like to think that, although Spirit is an aerospace company, it's also a people company and it is the people in Malaysia that have convinced me that this is a great place for Spirit to grow globally."

Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Sri Mohd, Najib Tun Abdul Razak will officiate the Opening Ceremony that marks Malaysia's commitment to make investments in the aerospace industry through Smart Partnerships. The project has received significant support from key institutional bodies of Malaysia like the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB). All have been instrumental in furthering Malaysia's collaborative efforts with Spirit.

Spirit AeroSystems Malaysia Sdn Bhd will occupy a central role in the development of the Malaysian aerospace industry as a whole, and is strategically located at the centre of the Malaysia International Aerospace Centre (MIAC) and adjacent to the runway for Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.

"We have a long history of dealing with Malaysian suppliers and partners like CTRM and SMEA," added Francis Hiew, the Managing Director of Spirit AeroSystems Malaysia. "The growth of Spirit and the opening of Spirit Malaysia mean that these companies can continue to grow and share in our future success."

When fully operational, the Spirit facility is expected to employ in excess of 450 employees in a variety of assembly, manufacturing, engineering, commercial and support roles. Due to its location, the facility has significant opportunities to expand its products, capacity and services.