Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 36 seconds.
On Feb. 27, Bombardier announced the next major investment in enhancing its global customer service experience with a significant expansion in the growing Asia-Pacific region.
The award-winning Singapore service centre will more than quadruple its current footprint, transforming the facility into a high-capacity, one-stop-shop super centre, offering its customers a full gamut of maintenance, refurbishment and modification services required throughout an aircraft’s life, directly on site.
“Our high-capacity, optimized Singapore service centre will bring industry-leading aircraft availability, faster turnarounds and greater convenience and peace of mind to Bombardier’s growing customer base in Asia,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, vice-president and general manager of Customer Experience.
“Customers will enjoy access to the complete range of OEM customer service and support right on their doorstep, 24-7, 365 days a year. This 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.”
“This expansion is another testament to the robust ties that bind our two countries together,” said Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification. “This important Canadian investment in Singapore is a platform that will create new opportunities for Canadian business in the region, and further diversify Canada’s export markets.”
The Singapore service centre announcement follows the Oct. 3, 2018, news that Bombardier is growing its North American maintenance capabilities with the construction of an expanded service centre at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. This facility will be inaugurated in 2020 and will more than double the current customer service footprint in Florida.
These major investments and expansions are the next steps in providing worldwide customers with new, enhanced maintenance and refurbishment options.
Located at Seletar Aerospace Park, the Singapore service centre, which opened in 2014, will more than quadruple its current footprint from 100,000 square feet (9,260 metres) to approximately 430,000 square feet (40,000 metres) by 2020.
The expansion will introduce exceptional new customer facilities, a full-service 37,000-square-foot (3,500 metres) paint facility, advanced interior finishing capabilities, with key support functions such as training, sales and customer support and an expanded portfolio of component, repair and overhaul (CRO) services. It will also offer heavy structural and composite repair capabilities, in addition to a 10,000-square-foot (929 metres) integrated parts depot.
The new expanded Singapore service centre will be capable of supporting more than 2,000 visits annually. The groundbreaking of the expansion will occur on Feb. 27, 2019, with the facility being operational in 2020.
The Singapore service centre currently employs more than 150 staff, including 100 licensed engineers and technicians, and has received more than 20 certifications and authorizations from international regulators to service the full range of Bombardier Global, Challenger and Learjet aircraft including the large, luxurious and long-range business jet, the flagship Global 7500 aircraft.
In addition to offering scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and aircraft on ground (AOG) support, the Singapore service centre is recognized as a centre of excellence for complex retrofit work, including avionics and Ka-band installations.
“Bombardier’s decision to establish a full suite of aftermarket capabilities at its Singapore service centre will add to the vibrancy of activities at Seletar Aerospace Park,” said Tan Kong Hwee, executive director of Capital Goods for the Singapore Economic Development Board. “Bombardier’s expansion in Singapore is testament to our attractiveness as an aerospace hub, and our ability to capture growth opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. We look forward to forging stronger ties with companies like Bombardier, to grow the sector and create more good jobs for Singaporeans.”
Bombardier Business Aircraft currently has an extensive footprint in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 320 aircraft of its industry-wide fleet of 1,025 aircraft operating there. In total, Bombardier has more than 4,800 business aircraft operating around the world.
Bombardier estimates industry-wide deliveries in the region between now and 2027 to be 950 aircraft for a forecasted sales revenue of US$37 billion. The most popular growth area are the Global aircraft, and the expanded Singapore service centre will be instrumental in supporting the growing fleet, including the Global 7500.
