Aviation firm Spirit AeroSystems said Thursday it is to build a 50-million-dollar manufacturing plant in Malaysia.

"The investment will be spent on infrastructure, tooling equipment and for training," said the firm's vice president Neil McManus, adding the plant would employ at least 450 people.

Najib Razak, Malaysian deputy prime minister, said Spirit's move was "a clear indication of the competitive investment environment in Malaysia."

Investments in the manufacturing sector for the first nine months of the year amounted to 39.5 billion ringgit (11.7 billion dollars), he said.

Najib had previously said that Malaysia aspired to become a regional hub for aircraft maintenance and repairs, amid strong growth in air travel worldwide.

Malaysia ranks fifth in Asia and tenth in the world in terms of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, he had said.

Spirit AeroSystems, which operates in the US and Europe, describes itself as the world's largest supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components.