The MROs Of Asia-Pacific

SIA Engineering, the MRO division of Singapore Airlines, provides line maintenance services from its Changi Airport base along with airframe and component overhaul offerings. Employing more than 6,000 people worldwide, SIA Engineering has involvement with twenty-six joint ventures with original equipment manufacturers and airlines in Singapore, Ireland, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines

Originally set up as an MRO for the Singapore Air Force in 1975, Singapore Technologies Aerospace has gone to establish itself as a strong regional player for commercial aftermarket services. Its services include airframe, engine and component MRO. ST Aerospace says that since 1990, it has completed more than 10,000 commercial aircraft heavy maintenance and modifications.

Associated with national carrier Garuda, GMF AeroAsia has four hangars across Indonesia with its main base in the country's capital Jakarta. Across these facilities,it provides a full range of services including line maintenance, base maintenance, component repair, engineering services, engine and APU maintenance cabin support.

Sepang Aircraft Engineering was fully acquired by Airbus earlier this month. The aircraft manufacturer had previously held a 40% stake in the MRO since 2011. Kuala Lumpur-based Sepang has supported Airbus aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region since 2006. Services include airframe, component, engine and cabin refurbishment.

Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company (VAECO) handles around 400 flights daily and performs around 900 checks annually. Along with aircraft and component maintenance services, it also holds capabilities for technical training, aircraft painting and non-destructive testing, among others. Looking to grow its scope and third-party customer base, VAECO was awarded a EASA Part 145 certificate in April 2017.

With two maintenance centers in Bangkok and U-Tao, Thai offers calibration and maintenance services for a mix of older aircraft (Airbus A300, McDonnell Douglas DC10, Boeing 737 and 747) along with newer aircraft types such as Airbus A330, A340, A380 and Boeing 777.

The maintenance division of Korean Air services its parent airline fleet along with around 30 third-party customers worldwide on airframe, engine and APU, component and technical training services. Last year, Korean Air also built a new test cell for larger engine types with a maximum thrust rating 150,000lbs. The move brought the testing capability in-house, with the MRO having previously used companies in the U.S., the UK and Singapore to carry out engine tests.

A joint venture between GE Aviation and Taiwan's Eva Air, Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT) the FAA, EASA, and JCAB Part-145 repair station has a customer base of more than 35 airlines. The MRO opened its fourth hangar in July 2017 as a means of meeting capacity demand.

Triumph Aviation Services, based in Thailand, has forged links with many OEMs in the past few years. Cooperations include being authorized by Boeing as a warranty repair station for CFM56-7 fan reversers since 2012, followed by the Trent 800 fan reversers in 2015. It has also had a partnership with Airbus to provide regional repair services for flight control surfaces and structural parts to Asia-Pacific-based carriers.