Bombardier Business Aircraft will quadruple the size of its Singapore service center and nearly double employment there to support an increasing fleet of its airplanes in the region, the Canadian airframer announced late yesterday. The footprint of its Singapore site will expand from 100,000 sq ft to 430,000 sq ft.
āOur high-capacity, optimized Singapore service center will bring industry-leading aircraft availability, faster turnarounds, and greater convenience and peace of mind to Bombardierās growing customer base in Asia,ā said Bombardier v-p and general manager of customer experience Jean-Christophe Gallagher. āThis 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.ā
The expansion will include new customer facilities; a 37,000-sq-ft paint facility; a 10,000-sq-ft integrated parts depot; heavy structural and composite repair capabilities; expanded component, repair, and overhaul facilities; and advanced interior finishing.
Bombardier's larger facilities will support more than 2,000 annual visits of its Learjet, Challenger, and Global models, including the new Global 7500. The current center has more than 20 certifications and authorizations from international regulators and provides scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and AOG support. It is also recognized as a center of excellence for complex retrofit work, which includes avionics and Ka-band satellite communications installations.
More than 320 Bombardier aircraft operate in the Asia-Pacific region, Bombardier said, with the Global models representing its most promising type for growth there, which in turn makes the expanded Singapore center āinstrumental in supporting the growing fleet.ā
The center currently employs more than 150 people, including 100 licensed engineers/technicians. A spokesman told AIN the Singapore centerās total employment is expected to increase to more than 300 employees over the next several years.
Groundbreaking on the expansion took place today. The new facility is expected to be operational in 2020.