GE Aerospace’s Singapore and Malaysia projects to enjoy ‘significant portion’ of new US$75 million investment

[SINGAPORE] Aviation giant GE Aerospace on Wednesday (Sep 3) announced plans to invest US$75 million across its Asia-Pacific (Apac) maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and component repair facilities, through the end of 2025.

Its Singapore and Malaysia facilities are set to enjoy a “significant portion” of the investment. The Republic is host to the company’s largest component repair site, which manages 60 per cent of its global repair volume, and Malaysia features GE Aerospace’s flagship overhaul site in Asia.

The announcement came as part of an event on “Advancing MRO for a Resilient Aerospace Industry in Asia-Pacific” hosted in Singapore by The Business Times, and is part of the company’s global, multi-year US$1 billion MRO spending plan announced in 2024.

GE Aerospace’s facilities cover about 3,800 commercial aircraft engines in the region. The new investment aims to reduce turnaround times for customers and expand component repair capability at its MRO facilities.

This builds upon a US$45 million investment last year and aims to meet MRO demand for Apac customers of GE Aerospace and CFM International – its joint venture with Safran Aircraft Engines.

Farah Borges, GE Aerospace’s vice-president for assembly, test, maintenance, repair and overhaul, said: “Aviation activity is really booming across Apac today, with sustained growth driving demand for advanced MRO capabilities and next-generation aviation technology.”

The investment will fund additional engine test cells, new equipment and technology including artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled inspection techniques. General Electric spinoff, GE Vernova, was highlighted for using AI for inspections in Prime Minster Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally speech this year.

In Singapore, the investment will help GE Aerospace’s Seletar Aerospace Park facility to serve as a technology incubator, advancing repair capabilities with more additive manufacturing, robotics and automation, and digitalisation.

These advancements will expand technological capabilities, productivity and capacity while playing a vital role in upskilling the workforce in Singapore, said the company.

The implementation of these upgrades is already under way and is expected to be completed in 2026.

In Malaysia, the investment will support expansion plans for MRO work on CFM56 engines and CFM Leap engines. It aims to double the Leap engine MRO shop visit capacity within the next three years.

The CFM56 is used on Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft as well as the A320 family, while the Leap is used on the Boeing 737 MAX and A320neo family. The Boeing jets are operated by carriers such as Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Batik Air, while the AirAsia group is the biggest operator of the Airbus jets in the region.

A state-of-the-art engine test facility, using the latest software and hardware, dedicated to the Leap engines, will also be introduced in Malaysia. Additional equipment will be installed to meet rising demand, alongside training programmes for new employees and upskilling initiatives for current teams. GE Aerospace added that efforts to enhance net carbon facility operations will also be prioritised.

In addition to the Singapore and Malaysia projects, the GE Aerospace On Wing Support facility in South Korea will also receive funding to upgrade its capabilities and technologies.