Question

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether he can provide an update on how the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector of our aviation industry is currently coping with the present demands for their services arising from the increase in the past year of commercial flights in Changi Airport; and (b) whether the MRO sector will be ready to cope with the likely increase in flights in the coming months which may arise from the re-opening of China’s borders.

Oral Answer (to be attributed to Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan)

1. Our aerospace industry is coping well with the increase in demand for MRO services, following the re-opening of borders. The industry’s monthly index of industrial production has exceeded pre-COVID levels since 2Q 2022, and grew 27.7% year-on-year in 2022.

2. We expect MRO demand to grow further as China opens its borders. To cope with this demand, aerospace companies are increasing their recruitment efforts and looking to fill about 3,000 new roles by the end of this year. They are also investing in technology and innovation. For example, Pratt & Whitney announced plans last September to establish its Technology Accelerator in Singapore, which will develop technologies to increase productivity and help the company meet future demand.