How global aerospace giants are partnering local enterprises in Singapore for the long haul

Global demand for air travel has never been stronger, yet aerospace manufacturers are struggling to keep up. Supply chain bottlenecks, alongside shortages in engines and skilled workers, are expected to cost the airline industry more than US$11 billion (S$14.2 billion) in 2025.

The backlog of new aircraft now exceeds 17,000 jets¹ and Airbus estimates that nearly half of all aircraft produced globally over the next two decades will be delivered to the Asia-Pacific region².

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns this mismatch between demand and production capacity is unlikely to normalise before 2031, forcing airlines to keep older aircraft in service, and increasing the need for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services. 

To this end, Chief Executive of the Association of Aerospace Industries Singapore (AAIS), Mr Chew Hwee Yong says that MNCs looking to diversify and strengthen supply chain resilience can do so in Singapore through partnerships with local enterprises.
 

Mr Chew adds that Singapore’s highly connected aerospace ecosystem allows companies to work closely and respond quickly to shifting customer needs. In fact, Singapore accounts for 10 per cent of global MRO output and close to 20 per cent of global engine MRO output the equivalent of one in 10 aircraft and one in five engines worldwide being serviced here.

This makes it easier for MNCs to identify partners, solve challenges, and develop new capabilities together. Among the MNCs with long-standing presence here, GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce have fostered successful partnerships with Singapore enterprises. These are the win-win outcomes they have achieved:
 

GE Aerospace and Kei & Wah Engineering: Advancing automation through a long-term partnership

THE PARTNERSHIP

GE Aerospace, a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader, operates three facilities in Singapore—two engine component repair facilities in Loyang and a plant in Seletar Aerospace Park.

Together, they make Singapore GE Aerospace’s  largest location for engine component repair, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the company’s global repair volume.

To keep that volume moving efficiently, GE Aerospace began expanding its local tooling supplier base and seeking partners in Singapore to design and fabricate specialised tooling and automation solutions needed to support safe, efficient, and consistent operations.

That search led GE Aerospace to Kei & Wah Engineering, a Singapore-based precision engineering firm specialising in the design and manufacture of high-precision tooling used across industries such as aerospace and semiconductors.

What began as a tooling supplier relationship has evolved into a long-term
co-development collaboration, with Kei & Wah experts working alongside GE Aerospace’s engineering and operations teams to solve manufacturing challenges and develop fit-for-purpose tooling and automation solutions.

Kei & Wah’s technical personnel spent time onsite to better understand operational requirements, observe use cases and run multiple trials with GE Aerospace engineers and operators. That collaborative continuous-improvement approach is underpinned by FLIGHT DECK— the company’s proprietary lean operating model—helping to translate shopfloor feedback into practical engineering solutions tailored to GE Aerospace Singapore’s needs.

Over the decades, Kei & Wah has taken on increasingly complex assignments with GE Aerospace, progressively deepening its aerospace capabilities and strengthening its role in the company’s Singapore operations.

This included the design and fabrication of an automated bushing sleeve installation system for GE Aerospace’s High Pressure Compressor Variable Stator Vanes (VSV)³ , a critical component found across multiple aircraft engines.

Previously, the installation process was carried out manually. It was labour-intensive, highly repetitive, and posed safety risks for workers. The automated system helped remove manual safety risks while raising productivity.

It has since been deployed across other engine platforms, demonstrating how a locally developed solution can be adapted and scaled across broader operations.

Beyond solving a specific operational challenge, the partnership has also contributed to local capability building. Through years of collaboration, Kei & Wah has deepened its expertise in aerospace-grade tooling, automation design and precision engineering support. In turn, GE Aerospace has benefited from a trusted local partner able to respond quickly, collaborate closely on requirements and support long-term operational resilience in Singapore.
 

Rolls-Royce and Mencast: Localising advanced tooling repair to strengthen supply chain resilience

THE PARTNERSHIP

British aerospace and power systems company Rolls-Royce manufactures about 90 per cent of fan blades for its Trent engine family at Fan Blade Singapore, its advanced manufacturing facility at Seletar Aerospace Park.

The Trent engine powers some of the world’s most widely flown wide-body aircraft including the Boeing Dreamliner and Airbus A350. Each year, Rolls-Royce produces about 5,000 fan blades in Singapore— – translating to about 700 engine sets— – for use in brand-new engines as well as engine maintenance.

Making each blade requires a specialised metal mould, or die set, that is repeatedly exposed to extreme heat. Over time, the heat causes the dies to wear down, and the dies will require repair.

Previously, these repairs were carried out overseas, requiring extensive inventory and logistic planning, and often resulting in long turnaround times. Rolls-Royce recognised the operational risks involved and moved to build a more resilient, localised supply chain in Singapore.

Rolls-Royce embarked on a research project with A*STAR’s Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), to develop a proof of concept for repairing worn tooling surfaces locally. 

ARTC later brought in Mencast, a Singapore-headquartered Engineering and MRO solutions provider, to industrialise the solution— refining it from a working prototype into a stable, repeatable process ready for deployment in a real industry setting.

A*STAR transferred the relevant knowledge from the research phase to Mencast, which then worked alongside ARTC and Rolls-Royce, using its own equipment, resources, and setup, to develop and deploy a local repair capability.

The solution centred on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), a process that uses an electric arc to melt metal wire and rebuild worn surfaces layer by layer. Mencast is now part of Rolls-Royce’s network of local service providers and will be called upon to offer the required servicing as needed.
 

Rolls-Royce is continuing its collaboration with ARTC under the Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab 2.0 to advance repair techniques for more complex solutions, and explore how similar technologies can be applied to a broader range of use cases.
 

Looking for a reliable partner to co-develop solutions in Singapore?

Companies looking to explore collaboration with Singapore enterprises can tap on the Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) scheme by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).

The Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) grant supports partnerships between MNCs/large local enterprises, and Singapore-based local enterprises. The support covers five modalities of partnerships - Supplier Development, Co-Innovation, Capability Training, Internationalisation, and Corporate Venturing.

PACT defrays part of costs incurred by global companies and their local suppliers or partners for activities arising from the partnership modalities mentioned above.

Find out more about PACT here or contact us today.
 

Footnote:

¹ “Aerospace Supply Chain Bottlenecks Continue to Constrain Airlines." International Air Transport Association, 9 Dec. 2025, www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-02/.

²  "Airbus Forecasts Asia-Pacific Aviation Services Market to Reach US$138.7 Billion by 2044." Airbus, 5 Feb. 2026, www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-02-airbus-forecasts-asia-pacific-aviation-services-market-to-reach-us1387-billion-by-2044.

³ Variable Stator Vanes (VSVs) are adjustable blades within a jet engine's high-pressure compressor that pivot in real time to control airflow keeping the engine running efficiently and preventing dangerous stalls across different speeds and operating conditions. The bushing sleeve is a precision component that supports each vane's pivot mechanism, acting as a protective lining that allows the vane to rotate smoothly while maintaining an airtight seal within the compressor casing.