On October 9, 2026, ST Engineering announced that it has opened a new airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Changi Creek in Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN), adding capacity as demand for aircraft maintenance continues to rise.
The site has become the group’s fourth airframe MRO facility in Singapore. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also minister for trade and industry, attended the opening.
New hangar adds four widebody bays, lifting Singapore capacity by 40%
The facility covers 84,000 square meters and has four bays for widebody aircraft.
At full operation, it will expand ST Engineering’s widebody airframe maintenance capacity in Singapore by 40%, estimated by the company to mean that around 100 extra widebody aircraft could be serviced there each year.
The company noted that the added space should give airlines more reliable access to maintenance slots. Demand has been growing as carriers expand their fleets and keep older aircraft flying for longer.
“As airline fleets expand and aircraft stay in service longer, airlines need assured capacity, dependable reliability and consistently high quality,” said Kevin Chow, President of Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering. He claimed that the facility would also support Singapore’s role as an aviation hub and create skilled aerospace jobs.
Drone inspections, parts-delivery robots and AI defect detection part of daily operations
ST Engineering has designed the facility around digital tools, automation and artificial intelligence.
Drones will conduct general visual inspections, while autonomous mobile robots will carry parts from storage directly to the maintenance bays.
The site also uses digital maintenance planning, automated storage and retrieval systems, electronic documentation rooms and real-time dashboards that track work as it happens. AI will support aircraft inspections and help to identify defects.
According to the company, the technology is intended to improve the quality of maintenance work, reduce the time aircraft spend on the ground, and strengthen safety and reliability. The facility also generates solar power on-site and collects rainwater.
More than 500 jobs expected, with staff trained to work alongside new technology
Once fully staffed, the facility is expected to employ more than 500 people.
According to ST Engineering, it will run training programs in digital technologies and AI-based processes, in order to prepare workers for the increasingly automated environment.
Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President at the Singapore Economic Development Board, suggested that the facility would give Singaporeans opportunities to learn new skills and build careers in aerospace.
Global network grows with new hangars in China and the US due in 2027
ST Engineering is also expanding its MRO network overseas. In addition to its facilities in Guangzhou and Ezhou, China, the company expects a second hangar in Ezhou to open during the second half of 2027. Two new hangars in Pensacola, Florida, are also set to begin operations in phases starting in early 2027.
Headquartered in Singapore, ST Engineering operates across aerospace, smart city, defense and public security, with customers in more than 100 countries. The group reported revenue of more than $9.4 billion (approximately SGD 12 billion) in 2025.