Safran Electrical & Power launches new aerospace facility in Seletar
‘Critical node’ will boost French aerospace giant’s capabilities as regional aviation grows
[SINGAPORE] Safran Electrical & Power (SEP) inaugurated a new 2,800 square metre facility located at 7 Seletar Aerospace Lane on Tuesday (Dec 9).
SEP is a subsidiary of French aerospace giant Safran, which is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is well established in aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in Singapore.
The facility employs around 70 people and is dedicated to the manufacture and MRO of electrical systems and components for aircraft, which include power converters, starters, rectifiers and batteries.
It is Safran’s first manufacturing facility in Singapore.
Bruno Bellanger, chief executive officer of SEP, said that the new facility reflects both company and group ambitions to grow further amid a general uplift in the region’s aviation and aerospace industries expected in the coming years.
“Singapore is a fantastic aerospace hub in Asia, and a key place to provide the best in terms of support and service to our customers, which include many airlines here in (the region),” he said.
He told The Business Times that he expects the facility’s output to increase by 30 to 50 per cent over the next five years.
Other key factors in choosing the site locale were the quality of its workforce and support from local partners, including the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and JTC Corporation, he added.
Volts up
The site was formerly owned by French aerospace and defence company Thales. Re-development began following Safran’s acquisition of Thales’ aerospace electric and power business in October 2023 and the new facility began operations in May 2025.
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Bellanger declined to comment on the cost of developing the facility, but described it as a new “centre of excellence” for power conversion components.
While it supports a number of aircraft, including the Airbus A380, it is the only site in the world that makes such components for the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 wide-body airliners, producing around 120 to 140 of these modules per month.
The site is also significant for Singapore’s aerospace industry and Safran as electrical systems become more important in aircraft to help lower emissions and reduce running costs.
Jacqueline Poh, CEO of JTC Corporation, said the site will add “vital new capabilities to our aerospace ecosystem here in Seletar Aerospace Park”.
“With the growth of More-Electric Aircraft (MEA) and electrification, SEP’s new facility positions the sector for future opportunities in aircraft electrification and advanced propulsion, supporting Singapore’s decarbonisation plans for the aviation sector,” she added.
MEA refers to replacing traditional hydraulic, pneumatic or mechanical systems with electrical ones to save weight and improve aircraft fuel and cost efficiency.
Zheng Jingxin, vice-president and head of mobility at EDB, said the move is “timely and exciting” given the focus on aircraft electrification.
He also pointed out that as the sole site for making certain electrical components – including power conversion panels and transformers – it establishes Singapore as a “critical node” in Safran’s global network.
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