| |
Seletar Airport and the surrounding area to host new integrated aerospace industry cluster
1. Singapore's aerospace industry has done well over the last 10 years. It has grown by a compounded annual rate of more than 12%, to make Singapore the most comprehensive aerospace Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub in the Asia-Pacific, with a quarter share of the Asian market. Last year, the industry registered a record output of $5.2 billion, a 17% increase over 2004.
2. Our sustained high growth has created strong clusters of aerospace activity mainly located in Changi. With Asia expected to double its fleet of aircraft by 2015, the Singapore aerospace industry is set to grow further. Already, aerospace companies in Singapore and new investors are seeking additional space for expansion.
3. The government is committed to supporting this growth. To this end, having studied various options to create additional space for the aerospace industry, we are pleased to announce the development of a new aerospace park at Seletar.
4. This aerospace park will provide additional space for industry expansion, complementing existing aerospace activities at Changi and other parts of the island.
5. The development of the aerospace park will fit well with Seletar's history and character. Seletar was Singapore's first international civil airport. Through the years, as international air traffic moved to Kallang, Paya Lebar, and finally Changi, Seletar has continued to operate as a base for business & general aviation operators and MRO providers, as well as flight training.
6. Building on this, the new Seletar Aerospace Park will support a new integrated aerospace industry cluster incorporating aerospace MRO; design and manufacturing of aircraft systems and components; business & general aviation activities; and an aviation campus for the training of pilots, aviation professionals and technical personnel.
7. Mr Ko Kheng Hwa, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board said: "Seletar Aerospace Park will enable Singapore to capture the strong growth in the global aerospace industry and solidify our position as a leading aviation hub. It also signals Singapore's commitment to provide the necessary resources and infrastructure to grow the aerospace industry."
8. With the decision to develop Seletar, aerospace companies can look forward to dedicated facilities designed to support aerospace activities. The government will develop about 140 ha of land around the Seletar Airport as the Seletar Aerospace Park, and upgrade Seletar Airport to support the Park.
9. Mr Tay Kok Khiang, President, Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd. said: "We welcome and applaud the decision to develop an aerospace park at Seletar. ST Aerospace has many investments in Seletar Airport, as we have in Changi Airport, Paya Lebar Airport and other aviation clusters in Singapore to support our customers and we believe that Seletar is well placed with sufficient capacity to become another significant aviation cluster for Singapore. We look forward to playing a role in making the Seletar Aerospace Park another success for Singapore."
10. Mr Rene Frandsen, Senior Vice President-Asia, Hawker Pacific Asia Pte Ltd said: "Singapore is an excellent location for us to conduct the business that we are in, and we prefer basing a significant amount of our new investments in Singapore. Hence, we are glad to know of the Singapore Government's plans for Seletar."
11. JTC Corporation will carry out master-planning and infrastructural improvements for the Seletar Aerospace Park, in consultation with URA. The master-planning of the Seletar Aerospace Park will take into consideration the merits of retaining some of the existing buildings and the potential for adaptive reuse as part of the aerospace park. The full masterplan including the final boundary of the Aerospace Park will be finalized towards the end of 2006 and development will begin in phases from 2007. The entire development is expected to take about 8 years. In response to strong industry demand, the first land allocation will be in Jan 2007.
12. Said Mr Chong Lit Cheong, JTC's Chief Executive Officer, "In our master-planning, we aim to revitalise the area by putting in new infrastructure and facilities. In time to come, the estate will be a modern, integrated aerospace park meeting the needs of the existing companies as well as new investors."
13. Seletar Aerospace Park is expected to contribute S$3.3 billion annually in value-added (1% of GDP) and create 10,000 new jobs, mainly skilled ones, by 2018. With this exciting new development, we look forward to further growth in the Singapore aerospace industry, carrying us to newer and greater heights.
Editor's Note
The following government agencies are working hand-in-hand to revamp Seletar Aerospace Park and enhance Singapore as a global aviation hub.
Economic Development Board (EDB) is Singapore's lead agency responsible for planning and executing strategies to sustain Singapore's position as a compelling global hub for business and investment.
We work closely with local and foreign companies across a diverse range of activities in both manufacturing and services to help them move towards higher value-creating operations in an increasingly knowledge-based and innovation-driven environment. We also encourage companies to use Singapore as a headquarters and total business centre to manage their global or regional functions to service their global or Asia Pacific operations.
For the aerospace industry, our vision is to grow Singapore into a global aviation hub, encouraging activities in MRO, manufacturing, R&D and training. The Seletar Aerospace Park will be key in enabling this vision.
JTC Corporation (JTC) is the lead agency in Singapore to develop key industrial facilities and vibrant industrial space, in support of the nation's economic development. Currently, the Corporation has under its management many developments including four wafer fab parks and an advanced display park, two business parks, a chemicals hub at Jurong Island, biomedical parks in Tuas as well as logistics hubs for aerospace, chemical and general warehousing industries.
JTC also plays a catalytic role in sourcing and introducing leading edge real estate solutions - such as specialised research facilities and underground caverns - to anchor important activities critical to the growth of the economy. It is the master developer for one-north at Buona Vista - a 200-hectare development for research & development and entrepreneurial activities.
Representing the government's strong commitment to the aerospace industry, JTC is tasked to master-plan and develop the 140-hectare Seletar Aerospace Park into an integrated aerospace park to meet the needs of industrialists and attract new investments.
For media queries please contact:
Economic Development Board
Ms Elaine Lee
Assistant Head, Marketing Communications
DID: 6832 6090
HP: 9841 8638
E-mail: elainel@edb.gov.sg
JTC Corporation
Ms Kaycee Tan
Assistant Manager, Marketing Communications
DID: 68833064
Email: tanckk@jtc.gov.sg
GLOSSARY OF AEROSPACE TERMS
Commercial Aircraft: Jet planes used by commercial airlines for passenger and cargo flights. These typically carry 100 passengers or more.
Microjets (also known as Very Light Jet, or VLJ): This is a relatively new term, used to describe an emerging class of small jets that will soon be available in the market. Many of these microjets utilise lightweight composite materials (which are also found on the newest generation of commercial aircraft).
Narrow-body: A narrow-body plane is a commercial jet with a single aisle. Examples include the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320.
Wide-body: A wide-body plane is a commercial jet with two aisles. Examples include the Boeing 777 and the Airbus 380.
General Aviation (GA): The term GA covers any flight other than military or scheduled airline flights. The wide range of activities under GA include flight training, air charter services, medical emergency/search and rescue flights, non-scheduled air cargo flights, recreational flying, and business aviation (corporate/high net-worth individuals flying on non-commercial aircraft).
|
|  |
|
