Bombardier investing S$85m to quadruple size of Singapore aircraft maintenance centre

AEROSPACE giant Bombardier is putting in S$85 million to quadruple the size of its Singapore service centre to 40,000 square metres by 2020, making it the largest business aviation maintenance facility in Asia owned by an original equipment manufacturer.

Located at Seletar Aerospace Park, the centre offers maintenance services, aircraft-on-ground support and complex retrofit works. It was opened in 2014 and employs over 150 staff.

The expanded centre will be able to support more than 2,000 visits annually. It will include a 3,500 sq m paint facility, advanced interior finishing capabilities and a broader suite of component, repair and overhaul services.

The new centre will also boast heavy structural and composite repair capabilities, alongside an integrated parts depot.

The expanded service centre will provide greater convenience for Bombardier's widening customer base in Asia, Jean-Christophe Gallagher, the company's vice president and general manager for customer experience, said on Wednesday.

"This expansion is another key building block in our drive to enhance the accessibility of our OEM expertise for customers worldwide and to solidify our position as a leader in aftermarket services in the Asia-Pacific region, a pivotal growing part of our global network," he said in a media statement.

Bombardier's investment will add to the vibrancy of Seletar Aerospace Park, Tan Kong Hwee, executive director for capital goods at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said in the statement.

"Bombardier's expansion in Singapore is testament to our attractiveness as an aerospace hub, and our ability to capture growth opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region," he added.