ST Engineering has officially opened a new airframe MRO facility at Changi Creek, within Singapore’s Changi Airport, expanding its capacity to meet growing demand for aircraft maintenance services.
The 84,000 sqm facility is ST Engineering’s fourth airframe MRO site in Singapore and features four widebody aircraft bays.
Once fully operational, it will increase the company’s widebody airframe MRO capacity in Singapore by 40%, potentially enabling an additional 100 aircraft to be serviced annually.
The facility incorporates digital technologies, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve maintenance efficiency, aircraft turnaround times and operational visibility.
These include advanced digital planning systems, automated storage and retrieval solutions, robotics and electronic documentation.
Drones will be deployed for visual aircraft inspections, while autonomous mobile robots will transport parts between storage areas and maintenance bays.
AI-enabled inspection and defect identification capabilities, alongside real-time maintenance dashboards, are also intended to support faster decision-making and improved maintenance outcomes.
The facility incorporates sustainability measures, including solar power generation and rainwater harvesting.
Once fully operational, the site is expected to employ more than 500 people. ST Engineering will provide training and upskilling programmes to equip employees with the digital and AI-related skills required for increasingly automated maintenance operations.
Kevin Chow, president of commercial aerospace at ST Engineering, said: “As airline fleets expand and aircraft stay in service longer, airlines need assured capacity, dependable reliability and consistently high quality. Our latest airframe facility aims to meet these customer expectations.”
He added that the development reinforces Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub while supporting the growth of advanced aerospace capabilities and skilled employment.
Cindy Koh, executive vice president at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said the investment would strengthen the country’s MRO capabilities while creating opportunities for employees to work with advanced robotics, digital technologies and AI.
