Thales officially launches expanded Changi facility

Singapore

FRANCE'S Thales Group, a multinational company that provides services for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security markets, officially launched its newly expanded facility in Singapore on Thursday.

The centre in Changi now consolidates avionics production, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities, sales operations and business development under one roof, enabling better synergies and process optimisation.

Conceived in late 2015, the expanded facility of 10,000 square feet started operations in January this year, with its newly revamped compositional layout optimising productivity by 10 per cent.

"Much of our expansion has derived from customer needs. In the area of maintenance and repair for in-flight entertainment, we service a customer base of over 40 airlines from Singapore that include Qatar Airways, Korean Air and Malaysia Airlines," said Pascale Sourisse, senior executive vice-president for international development, Thales.

In the past year, Thales in Singapore has grown its repair volume by 30 per cent.

Apart from providing repair operations, Thales also set up a customer support centre for Diehl Aerospace's Singapore subsidiary in November last year to better serve its regional customers.

The widened scope of the extended partnership has increased Thales' repair volume in Singapore to an estimated 40,000 pieces of equipment per year.

One of Thales' three global repair hubs, Singapore is the group's largest centre for avionics maintenance and repair services worldwide.

The aerospace industry in Singapore has seen robust growth over the past two decades, with the city-state accounting for a quarter of the region's MRO output.

There are more than 100 companies in Singapore that offer a comprehensive suite of aftermarket services, which include MRO, parts distribution and pilot simulator training.

Calling Thales' decision to expand in Singapore a testament to the country's continued strength as an aerospace centre for the region, Lim Kok Kiang, assistant managing director at the Economic Development Board (EDB), noted that Singapore's regional connectivity, pro-business environment and pool of skilled talent are key factors that have helped the Republic become the leading aerospace hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

"This expansion project has been a labour of love for Thales over the last couple of years. Thales is here in Singapore for the long haul as we grow and evolve with our customers and partners," said Kevin Chow, chief executive officer of Thales in Singapore.