Hong Kong, April 13 -- Fortune 500 conglomerate, Japan's Sumitomo Corporation, has launched AAR Sumisho Aviation Services to supply parts to the global commercial sector and Japanese defence customers.

The joint venture will distribute parts from OEMs based in Japan to the global aviation market, AAR said.

The U.S. aerospace and defence aftermarket solutions provider, headquartered in Chicago, has served as a stocking distributor for OEM new factory parts to Japanese defence customers through the Sumitomo Corporation since 2012.

"This new venture with Sumitomo presents a tremendous opportunity to expand our market reach and capabilities in Japan, a highly strategic market for us," AAR president and CEO, John Holmes, said.

"Both our comp...