Bombardier quadruples size of S'pore service centre

Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier yesterday unveiled an expanded service centre in Singapore that is four times the size of the original amid a surge in demand for private jet services globally.

The centre is expected to support more than 2,000 business jet visits each year and is now the largest maintenance facility of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, a key part of the firm's global network, Bombardier said.

Before its expansion, the service centre supported 895 private jet visits in 2019.

"With this major expansion, the Singapore Service Centre will provide infinite benefits, including quicker aircraft turnarounds, greater convenience and peace of mind to Bombardier's growing customer base in Asia," said Mr Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive vice-president for services and support, and corporate strategy.

Bombardier chief executive Eric Martel told reporters at yesterday's launch that business jet traffic in the Asia-Pacific region, barring China, has bounced back, and the service centre here is already seeing aircraft visits that would add up to about 2,000 per year.

"We're not exactly back to where we were pre-Covid-19, but there is less than a 10 per cent gap," he said.

"Now that the traffic is coming back, we feel that the facility is going to be filled very, very quickly. I'm pretty optimistic it will do better than pre-Covid-19 eventually."

The Canadian firm also said it is now able to offer a more environmentally friendly fuel option at Seletar Airport after receiving its first batch of sustainable aviation fuel from oil and gas giant Shell.

Located at Seletar Aerospace Park, Bombardier's expanded service centre spans 27,000 sq m, up from 6,500 sq m previously.

Work on the $118 million expansion began in 2019, but faced delays because of the pandemic.

New additions to the centre, which first opened here in 2014, include a full-service, environmentally controlled paint facility - the first in Asia - and heavy structural and composite repair capabilities.

The expanded centre also houses an integrated parts depot that is open 24/7, and will serve Singapore and the wider region.

With a new 7,300 sq m hangar, the centre can hold up to 30 jets, double its previous capacity.

Bombardier added that environmental sustainability was a key part of the expanded service centre's design.

Green features include solar panels on the building's roof and carpark structures, electric vehicle chargers, LED lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

To support the expanded service centre, Bombardier is also hiring more workers. The facility currently employs more than 200 people and the firm is in the midst of hiring 50 more this year, with plans to hire another 40 to 50 next year.

In January, Bombardier also introduced a 45-month apprenticeship scheme with Temasek Polytechnic to secure a pipeline of local talent.

Due to strong demand in South-east Asia, private aviation service providers have also been building up their physical presence here.

Jetcraft, which deals in used business jets, opened an office here last October, while Air 7, a charter service operator, established a marketing arm here the month before.

Air 7 Asia executive director Stefan Wood said his firm has been struggling to keep up with demand since Singapore and other countries in the region relaxed their travel restrictions.

"Personally, I think the demand is going to last until at least the next year. People want to travel and commercial airlines are not ramping up as much," he added.