ST Engineering’s commercial aerospace unit is expanding its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity in Singapore with a new airframe maintenance facility, which will be located next to the Airfreight Centre in Changi Creek.
The company will spend around S$170 million (US$142 million) to develop the 84,000-sqm facility, which will be equipped with four hangar bays that can service widebody aircraft, inclusive of a hybrid paint and maintenance bay. The first hangar bay is expected to be ready in mid-2025, followed by the remaining three by end-2026.
Once fully operational, the facility will contribute an additional 1.3 million manhours annually, which is about 10 percent of ST Engineering’s current global airframe MRO capacity. The company estimates over 550 jobs will be filled, including posts for licensed aircraft engineers, planning and production control specialists, mechanics, warehouse and logistics personnel.
As part of the company’s continuous drive towards environmental sustainability and operational efficiency, the new facility will incorporate green and smart technology features, including solar roof panels, automated guided vehicles to retrieve and transport tools and parts, and digital tools for paperless operations.
Japan Airlines will be the first airline to induct its aircraft into the new facility for servicing.
“With the regional aerospace industry poised to grow strongly in the coming decade, the additional capacity will allow us to better fulfil our commitment to longstanding customers to support their rising maintenance needs, as well as to capture future growth opportunities,” Jeffrey Lam, President of Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering.
“This new significant commitment in Singapore also underlines the fact that Singapore continues to be a strategic growth location even as we expand our footprint in other global markets,” added Lam.
ST Engineering is the world’s largest third-party airframe MRO service provider with over 13 million manhours capacity and a track record of over 45 years in delivering airframe maintenance solutions. With the addition of the new facility at Changi Creek, ST Engineering will have four airframe facilities in Singapore.
Caption: Jeffrey Lam, President of Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering (seventh from left) and management from ST Engineering’s Commercial Aerospace business at the groundbreaking ceremony for its new airframe facility, alongside industry and government partners.
Groundbreaking for the new facility was held today at its location next to the Changi Airfreight Centre in Changi Creek, in the presence of industry and government partners.