ST Engineering opens S$170 million aircraft maintenance site at Changi
The facility is expected to reach full operations by the end of 2027, increasing the company’s Singapore wide-body maintenance capacity by 40 per cent.
ST Engineering opened a S$170 million commercial aircraft maintenance facility at Changi Airport on Oct 9, expanding its Singapore network with a fourth site. The company built the Changi Creek facility to serve rising customer demand and test technologies for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).
Full operations are expected by the end of 2027, with the site projected to employ more than 500 people once fully ramped up. It is expected to increase the capacity of ST Engineering’s Singapore wide-body airframe MRO network by 40 per cent.
Covering approximately 84,000 square metres, the facility has four bays for wide-body aircraft. Two began operating in May and have handled aircraft belonging to Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Air India.
The company plans to deploy drones to support exterior inspections by licensed aircraft technicians. Autonomous vehicles will transport parts, tools and materials to the hangar floor, while robots will assist with sorting and storage. ST Engineering expects the robot and autonomous transport technologies to save about 7,800 manhours annually once fully operational.
ST Engineering is also working with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and the National Robotics Programme to trial physical AI for complex, unstructured maintenance tasks. Kevin Chow, its president of commercial aerospace, said technologies undergo testing in three- to six-month blocks, with a target of extending proven solutions to global operations within one to two years.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Gan Kim Yong officiated at the opening. He urged the aerospace industry to use technology to change labour- and time-intensive work, highlighting partnerships between industry and researchers.
