Singapore aerospace: scaling new heights

The global aerospace and aviation industries are seeing exciting times ahead. Despite global uncertainties, appetite for air travel in Asia Pacific countries continues to grow, creating countless opportunities in the region for aerospace manufacturers, MRO companies and general aviation and aerospace players alike. The global fleet size is anticipated to double over the next two decades. Aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing have projected that over a third of worldwide aircraft deliveries will go to Asia in the next two decades. By 2031, Asia Pacific’s fleet is expected to triple to about 13,500 aircrafts.

Singapore is particularly well-equipped to capture the demand for aviation-related services from this market. Backed by a large pool of over 100 aerospace companies, Singapore has garnered a quarter of the Asian MRO market. Singapore has become the leading aviation hub in Asia-Pacific today, contributing over a quarter share of the region’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) output. Leading players such as ST Aerospace and Goodrich carry out comprehensive nose-to-tail MRO services from airframe maintenance to engine overhaul to aircraft modifications and conversion.

Aside from MRO, Singapore is also seeing a growing number of aerospace design and manufacturing operations. Increasingly companies leverage off Singapore’s existing capabilities in precision engineering and electronics, to support the production of complex aero-engine components. For example in February 2012, Rolls Royce launched its Seletar Campus, that not only carries out activities such as engine assembly and test, training, R&D, it is also the company’s titanium wide-chord fan blade manufacturing. Similarly in January 2013 Pratt & Whitney broke ground for its first Geared Turbo Fan hybrid fan blade and turbine disk manufacturing facility outside of its U.S. headquarters.

Workforce geared up to meet demands

The aerospace industry in Singapore has stringent safety and quality standards. A pool of skilled, well-trained, and experienced personnel is therefore a critical part of the value chain. The aerospace industry today employs close to 19,900 workers, of which 90% are skilled.

World class Aerospace Park

Singapore enjoys excellent connectivity and an efficient supply chain. It is further strengthening its infrastructure to ride future growth trends. The Seletar Aerospace Park is a centrepiece of this effort. Spanning 300ha, the dedicated aerospace park allows companies to reap the benefits of a world-class business infrastructure, complete with runway access, and the synergies from cluster integration. Since its launch, the SAP has seen much success. In 2012, eight MNCs, including Rolls-Royce, Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Fokker Services Asia, Hawker Pacific and many others have opened new facilities in the SAP. Today, more than 80% of the 83ha of land made ready in Phase 1 and 2 has been taken up, while infrastructure works for Phase 3 is slated for completion by 2014.

Vector Aerospace facility in Seletar Aerospace Park

Vector Aerospace Corp. is building its first Singapore facility at Seletar Aerospace Park. The US$50-million investment includes the construction of a 5,200 sq m engine shop. Slated for opening in October 2014, the facility will be specially built for Pratt & Whitney’s PW150A turboprob engine.

Assistant Managing Director Mr Lim Kok Kiang was the Guest-of-Honour for the ground breaking ceremony, held yesterday at the VAdidas Falcon