Page 17 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 Online Magazine

[ MAINTENANCE REPAIR OVERHAUL ]

Hungry

for a Pie

SOUTH EAST ASIAN
NATIONS ARE TRYING TO DRAW
AIRCRAFT-RELATED BUSINESS
FROM OVERSEAS, RESULTING IN
FIERCE COMPETITION WITH
RIVALS IN THE REGION

Jay Menon

For decades, the commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and U-Tapao International Airport (UTIA). The new
overhaul (MRO) market in Southeast Asia has been controlled MRO centre will be one of the most modern
by leading players in Singapore, the regional aviation hub. These and extensive in the Asia-Pacific region, offer-
Singaporean companies have been providing maintenance ser- ing heavy maintenance and line services for all
vices for airlines both in and outside the region. But they are now widebody aircraft types. The facility will fea-
facing more competition from service providers in countries such ture the latest digital technologies to analyse
as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. With the Asia-Pacific region aircraft maintenance data, as well as advanced
set to be the fastest-growing market for commercial aviation over inspection techniques, including the use of
the next 20 years, countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia drones to monitor aircraft airframes.
and Vietnam are seeking to strengthen its aviation infrastructure,
and particularly its MRO segment. The MRO complex will also have specialised
repair shops, including for composite struc-
“THAI AND AIRBUS HAVE UNDERTAKEN tures, as well as a maintenance training centre
EXTENSIVE STUDIES TO VALIDATE THE BUSINESS offering extensive courses for technical per-
PLAN FOR THIS EXCITING PROJECT. TOGETHER sonnel from Thailand and overseas. “THAI
and Airbus have undertaken extensive studies
WE WILL DEVELOP ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED to validate the business plan for this exciting
AND EFFICIENT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE CENTERS’ project,” said Usanee Sangsingkeo, Acting
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WE ARE CONFIDENT President, THAI. “Together we will develop
THAT THIS VENTURE WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT one of the most advanced and efficient aircraft
maintenance centers’ anywhere in the world.
ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR THAI AND WILL BE A We are confident that this venture will bring
MAJOR DRIVER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE significant economic benefit for THAI and will
WIDER AEROSPACE SECTOR IN THAILAND” be a major driver in the development of the
Usanee Sangsingkeo, Acting President, THAI. wider aerospace sector in Thailand.”
THAI and Airbus have been allocated a 32-ha
Important Step plot within an 80-ha MRO centre, with initial
A major step towards this took place last June, when Thai Airways operations to begin by 2022. The MRO facility
International (THAI) and European aerospace giant Airbus signed at U-tapao is part of the military government’s
an agreement to proceed with a joint venture MRO facility at

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE January/February 2019 | 17