Singapore Aero Engine Services Limited has gone from strength-to-strength, growing alongside Singapore's flourishing aerospace industry.

Singapore is home to a rapidly growing and successful aerospace industry. Today, the country possesses a full range of such competencies as airframe maintenance, engine overhaul, component repair, structural and avionics systems repair, as well as aircraft modifications and conversion. The maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector is one of the most vibrant and thriving areas of activity in Singapore's aerospace industry. The 100 or more world-class companies carrying out MRO services locally are testament to this.

Taking flight

Of these, Singapore Aero Engine Services Limited (SAESL), which was incorporated in 1999 and seeded from an S$185 million (US$120.7 million) joint partnership by SIA Engineering Company, Rolls-Royce and Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Limited, has emerged to become one of the industry's success stories. The company has managed to compile an impressive international portfolio, including engine overhaul for 18 airlines around the world, within five years from start of operations.

Established as a Trent Centre of Excellence, SAESL officially began operations in 2001. Since then, it has carved a niche for itself by servicing and overhauling the renowned family of Rolls-Royce Trent aero engines from its 18,500 sq m purpose-built repair facility, strategically located near Singapore's Changi Airport.

On 11 January this year, SAESL held a celebration ceremony to commemorate several milestones. First was the successful conclusion of MRO works on its 500th Rolls-Royce Trent engine, completed 18 months ahead of schedule. Secondly, the event celebrates the company's fifth year of operations and expansion of its business, with total manpower amounting to over 550 employees.

"Growing from a company with an initial strength of less than 70 in 2001, SAESL has achieved exponential growth over the past five years," elaborates John Horsburgh, CEO, SAESL. "We have far exceeded expectations and performance targets, most notably achieving a sales turnover in excess of S$613.2 million (US$400 million) in 2006, a five-fold increase from 2002."

The celebration reached a high note when Horsburgh revealed training on the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 has been completed. This highly sophisticated engine will power the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner, and SAESL will have the distinction of being the first MRO provider for the engine.

The new development will bring an increased staff count, as SAESL revealed plans to increase its workforce by another 120 people over the next two years. With the inclusion of the Trent 900, SAESL now provides MRO services for four of Rolls-Royce's Trent aero engines, the other three being the Trent 500, 700 and 800 and powering the Airbus A340, A330 and Boeing 777 respectively.

Singapore Aero Engine Services Limited (SAESL), which was incorporated in 1999 and seeded from an S$185 million (US$120.7 million) joint partnership by SIA Engineering Company, Rolls-Royce and Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Limited, has emerged to become one of the industry's success stories.

Spreading its wings

Besides undertaking more highly skilled responsibilities, SAESL remains in tune with the competitive MRO industry by improving its already impressive turnaround time. "Turntime - the cycle time to process an engine - is a key performance indicator in engine overhaul," explains Horsburgh. "In 2002, 90 days was the industry norm for high bypass, super thrust, wide body aircraft engines. Improvements have resulted in a process today that is capable of delivering a sub 60 day turntime for a fully overhauled engine, including the customers invoice." In the near future, SAESL hopes to whittle this down even further to a mere 55 days, though it has already surpassed the industry benchmark of 65 days.

Yet another feather in the cap for SAESL this year was the conferment of the Rolls-Royce Component Overhaul Centre of Excellence - Gold Award to its S$13 million (US$8.5 million) Compressor Blade Repair Facility. The award is in recognition of the facility's MRO capabilities and efficiency. A cut above the rest, the state-of-the-art, fully automated Centre is able to repair and rebuild compressor blades with greater precision and speed than conventional manual-operated facilities.

SAESL also provides internships and onsite training opportunities to aspiring aviation engineers from the local polytechnics and universities. This win-win partnership will not only ensure a constant pool of skilled talent for SAESL to tap into, but help develop Singapore's flourishing aerospace arena as well. The industry has grown at an average annual growth rate of 12.5 per cent over the past 15 years and registered a record output of S$5.2 billion (US$3.4 billion) in 2005.