“Our Ability to Reinvent Ourselves While Growing is Second to None”

Asia-Pacific is a strategic priority for Dedienne Aerospace, both in terms of present activity and future growth, says Kelvin See, Managing Director Asia of the company.

“In terms of growth potential, Asia-Pacific is clearly the fastest-growing region. We want to offer truly localised solutions across the region, backed by the full capabilities and OEM relationships of our company,” See says. In an interview, he speaks on a range of topics, including the company’s three-pronged strategy for growth, Asia-Pacific plans, its extensive customer base, sustainability initiatives, and innovation.

What are your plans for the Asia Pacific, which will account for most of the new aircraft that will join the global fleet?

Asia-Pacific is a strategic priority for Dedienne Aerospace, both in terms of present activity and future growth. In Southeast Asia, we rely on strong operational platforms in Singapore and Malaysia. These sites act as regional hubs to support airlines, MROs and OEMs across ASEAN, and they are well connected to the broader global network of Dedienne Aerospace.
In China, we have built a multi-site footprint that includes Zhuhai, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. This gives us the agility to support different customer clusters across the country and to accompany the rapid development of the local aerospace industry.

We are also preparing for further expansion in India. Our approach there is to build scalable infrastructure, develop local partnerships and align with national priorities so that we can be a long-term, trusted industrial partner. We want to offer truly localised solutions across Asia-Pacific, backed by the full capabilities and OEM relationships of our company.

How is Dedienne Aerospace planning to cope with the expected increase in demand for its products and services?

The global aviation and MRO markets are expected to grow strongly over the next decade, and we see this as both an opportunity and a responsibility. Dedienne Aerospace is preparing for expected increase in demand along three main axes: capacity, partnerships and services.

On capacity, we are expanding our industrial footprint. In October 2024, Dedienne Aerospace acquired The Champion GSE, which significantly strengthens our manufacturing base in the United States and adds a strong capability in specialised containers and ground support equipment for aerospace and defence. We are investing in modern equipment there with the objective of almost doubling production capacity. This comes in addition to our existing network of sites in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

On partnerships, we are reinforcing our role as an official licensee for major OEMs. In March 2025, Dedienne Aerospace and CFM International renewed the CFM LEAP tooling licence for ten years. In January last year, we signed a five-year master terms agreement with Pratt & Whitney Engine Leasing. These long-term agreements secure our position on key platforms.

We are also strengthening services. We focus on short turnaround times, strong stock management and flexible leasing so that customers can access the right tool at the right time. This is supported by a close partnership with ToolLive, a dedicated digital platform that helps operators plan, manage, track and optimise their tooling usage.

With digitalisation taking root in the MRO industry, maintenance operations have become increasingly more complex. How is the company responding to the need for new tooling?

Digitalisation and new-generation aircraft have made maintenance both more data-driven and more technically demanding. Our response is structured around OEM alignment, engineering strength and lifecycle support.

As an official licensee for Boeing, CFM, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Safran, Rolls-Royce and Collins Aerospace, Dedienne Aerospace has access to the technical data and drawings needed to design and maintain highly specialised tooling. This ensures that our equipment is fully compliant with the latest OEM standards and can evolve in line with new variants and new maintenance procedures, for example for LEAP performance restoration and full overhauls.

Internally, we rely on strong engineering capabilities in design, structural calculation and product validation. This allows us to develop custom tooling for complex operations and to upgrade existing tools to the latest index. We can provide upgrade kits, implement modifications and then recertify the tooling so that it remains serviceable throughout its life.

Lifecycle support is the third pillar. We combine periodic certification, repair, upgrade and full refurbishment with training on how to use the tools safely and efficiently. In parallel, we work closely with ToolLive to give operators better visibility on their tooling fleets, support preventive maintenance and, increasingly, help them move towards more predictive approaches to tooling readiness.

How extensive is your customer base? In which region do you see the most potential for growth?

Dedienne Aerospace serves a broad and diverse customer base across the entire aviation maintenance value chain. Our customers include OEMs, airlines, independent and airline-affiliated MROs, lessors and defence operators. Today, our OEM licences alone support more than 160 LEAP customers worldwide.

Geographically, our more than 35 operations and service centres cover North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and Africa. We are present in locations such as Miami, Cincinnati, Querétaro, Toulouse, Paris, Derby, Hamburg, Istanbul, Shannon, Budapest, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, Malaysia, Zhuhai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and India. This network allows us to combine global coverage with local proximity.

Traffic and fleet forecasts show that the Asia-Pacific will generate a large share of future aircraft deliveries, and the MRO market is expanding very rapidly in China and India. North America remains a strategic region as well, with a mature MRO ecosystem and a high level of fleet replacement. Our recent investments, including The Champion GSE acquisition, are aligned with these two main growth engines.

What has been your biggest challenge? What do you consider as your biggest achievement?

The biggest challenge has been to keep Dedienne Aerospace aligned with very rapid changes in the industry. In 2015, we faced a major production ramp-up to equip new engine shops while CFM International was introducing stricter tooling quality standards. More recently, after the COVID-19 downturn, the recovery brought a very strong and sudden demand for maintenance, and customers expected tooling to be available almost from one day to the next. Managing these transitions has required significant investments in people, capacity, processes and digital tools, while still delivering on our commitments to customers and OEM partners.

In terms of achievements, I would highlight two. The first is the position that Dedienne Aerospace holds today as a trusted, long-term partner for many of the world’s most prestigious OEMs. Being an official licensee for Boeing, CFM, Collins Aerospace, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Safran and Rolls-Royce is the result of decades of work on quality, reliability and innovation.

The second is our ability to reinvent ourselves while growing. The development of a stronger global footprint, the acquisition of The Champion GSE and our close partnership with ToolLive show that we can expand our industrial capabilities and embrace digitalisation without losing what defines Dedienne Aerospace: a focus on service, technical and industrial excellence, and proximity to our customers.