Aeria Luxury Interiors, a subsidiary of ST Engineering (Stand G01), is launching its VIP aircraft refurbishing and maintenance service here in Singapore. The new facility, to be part of the current ST Engineering site at Seletar Airport, will offer services for narrowbody and widebody aircraft, Ron Soret, Aeria’s v-p and general manager for completions, told AIN.

To date, Aeria has operated from its sole facility in San Antonio, Texas. “We recently delivered a BBJ to an Eastern European customer,” Soret said. The BBJ was completed from its green, fresh-from-the-factory state. Last year, another four aircraft went through Aeria’s workshops, for maintenance, avionics modification or refurbishment. These were a mix of Boeing 737s, BBJs and 757s. The 100,000-sq-ft hangar can accommodate two narrowbodies and two widebodies.

Aeria was incorporated in 2012 and now “the line is up and running,” Soret said. The workforce has grown rapidly – it stands at 120 employees, 70 percent of them dedicated to aircraft completion. Currently, work is in progress on one widebody (for completion and modifications) and delivery is planned for the first quarter of 2017. Two BBJs are undergoing maintenance, refurbishment and avionics modifications.

Aeria’s initial target market was green aircraft completions. The avionics business, which was added later, grew by 20 percent in 2015, according to Soret. Aeria is an authorized dealer for Honeywell and Rockwell Collins products.

A 3D printer was purchased in 2014. It can produce large parts, with dimensions up to 3-ft x 3-ft x 2-ft. “We are using it extensively for completions, making prototypes and decorative pieces,” Soret explained. For the BBJs, 3D-printed parts included single-seat armrests, loudspeaker bezels and brackets for electronics components. Aeria is resorting to a thermoplastic material that has sufficient structural strength and also meets flammability requirements.