Page 11 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018 Online Magazine

INTERVIEW: ST ENGINEERING
GLOBAL

POWERHOUSE Q&A

Lim Serh Ghee, President of
ST Engineering’s Aerospace sector

maintenance capabilities at our MRO with engineering and composite man-
facility in San Antonia knowing that ufacturing capabilities, we have been
there is potential demand for heavy able to leverage our knowledge and
maintenance services for the 787 expertise in these aspects to develop
platform in the Americas. With the the necessary capabilities quickly
setting up of the capabilities, we to meet the demand for composite
also became the first MRO service repair as it grows.
provider in the Americas to perform It also helps that we are one of
heavy maintenance on the 787. the few MRO service providers
in the world that has a 147 certi-
With the center of gravity of fied in-house training center, and
the aviation industry moving we constantly provide training and
toward Asia, do you see the skills upgrade opportunities to our
company expanding further employees to ensure that we have
in the region? a pipeline of mechanics, technicians
and Licensed Aircraft Engineers who
We have been on a constant lookout are well equipped to handle new
for the right opportunities to enhance requirements in technical skills and
ST Engineering, the world’s largest our global network of facilities to capabilities.
independent airframe MRO service serve our customers better. With
provider, is looking for expansion the Asia Pacific market forecasted Does the increasing role
opportunities in the Asia Pacific to become the world’s largest avia- of OEMs in the aftermar-
region and also investing in new tion market, we are definitely keeping ket threaten the market
growth areas including freighter an eye on the region for expansion prospects of independent
conversions. The MRO provider is opportunities. MRO providers like ST
also actively exploring unmanned Earlier this year, we entered into an Engineering?
freighter concepts and are studying MOU with Vietnam Airlines to set up a
the various technologies required to joint venture with its MRO subsidiary, While OEMs have been getting more
support a pilotless aircraft. “We esti- VAECO, to provide component MRO involved in the MRO aftermarket,
mate a single-pilot solution can be services. Partnering the national car- OEM’s core business is still ulti-
commercialized in four to five years,” rier will give us not only access to mately in the manufacturing of the
Lim Serh Ghee, President of ST their base-load; we can also leverage products and ensuring annuity of
Engineering’s Aerospace sector, tells their MRO network and facilities in aftermarket parts sales. They would

Arun Sivasankaran in an interview. Vietnam to capture the high-growth need fulfilment centers, given that
Edited excerpts from the interview aviation market of Vietnam and the their strategies thus far have been to
region. minimize the setting up of actual facil-
How important is North ities and instead partner with MRO
America as a market for the What are some of the services providers. Similar to air oper-
company? challenges that the rapid ators, they look out for those with a
induction of new genera- good geographical footprint, as well
The North American market is an tion aircraft by carriers are as one that can consistently provide
important market for us as most of posing to the MRO industry? quality, high safety standards and
the major US airlines are our cus- fast turnaround time. This is where
tomers. With intra-regional and Increasing level of software focus we have built extensive relationships
international travel continuing to and complexity of the new material with the OEMs over the years, and
grow, we are positive about the North used on new-generation aircraft some of our key partnerships include
American market and the opportuni- mean that investments in new equip- the Airbus Corporate Jet service
ties available there. Before the new ment and training are necessary to centre network with Airbus and long-
MRO facility in Pensacola, Florida, provide effective maintenance sup- term license agreements with UTC to
we had in mid-2017 set up 787 heavy port. As a MRO solutions provider provide component MRO support for

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