GE Aviation to hire over 300 in 2022, adds on to the 510 hired this year

GE AVIATION will hire over 300 workers in 2022 to add to its 1,700-strong workforce here, as the aerospace sector recovers from the debilitating impact of the pandemic.

Iain Rodger, managing director of GE Aviation in Singapore, announced the number at a ceremony on Monday (Nov 22) to commemorate the company's 40th year of presence in the Republic.

The company provides aircraft engines and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. Earlier in October, it stated it was looking to fill 200 positions this year. But it had filled 260 jobs between January and September, with another 250 workers expected to join by the end of the year. It had to reduce its workforce in the Republic by about 600 last year through retrenchment and temporary placement to other companies, when the pandemic decimated travel demand and affected aviation and aerospace players.

Now it is seizing opportunities in areas such as additive manufacturing, digitalisation, automation and robotics, advanced technology research, and sustainability; and is looking to fill roles to support its development and initiatives in these fields. "As GE Aviation seeks to dive deeper into each of these areas in the years to come, we are looking to further expand our team to bolster our initiatives, ensuring that we are fully harnessing the technology and innovation now in our hands," said Rodger.

GE Aviation's plans come as the aerospace sector is recovering.

Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, who graced GE Aviation's celebratory ceremony on Monday, said Singapore's aerospace industry in September grew 22 per cent year on year - albeit from a low base. The Ministry of Trade and Industry announced in October that aerospace companies in Singapore are looking to fill some 1,000 positions over the next 2 years.

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Singapore Technologies Engineering, Singapore Aero Engine Services – a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and SIA Engineering, US aerospace giant Pratt & Whitney and business jet manufacturer Bombardier are some of the players in the sector that have gone public about their recruitment plans in the Republic.

The Asian region is expected to become the world's largest aerospace market and will account for almost 40 per cent of the global fleet in 20 years' time, as noted by Rodger in his speech.

Rodger also shared that GE Aviation in Singapore is the first MRO facility in the world to implement new additive manufacturing technology to repair commercial jet engine airfoil components.

"This new additive repair technology for component repair was co-developed by local GE engineers here in Singapore, with the support of our Global Additive Manufacturing Technology Centers," added Rodger.

What's special about this new technology is that it is significantly faster than conventional repair techniques with twice as many jet engine parts repaired daily, enabling customers' aircraft to take to the skies again in a shorter period, according to GE Aviation.

The new additive repair technology will be used in two types of engines, one of which has been ordered by Singapore Airlines for its Boeing 777X planes.

GE Aviation has been in Singapore since 1981 and started with a pool of only 112 people. But it now employs over 1,700 skilled engineers, technicians, and professionals across three facilities in Singapore.

READ MORE: Singapore aerospace sector aims to fill 1,000 jobs in next 2 years