Airbus and the Republic of Singapore have been strategic partners for over 40 years, with a strong relationship dating back to 1975 when the company established a liaison office on its main island.
As Singapore developed into one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, Airbus was there every step of the way – making significant contributions with its cutting-edge products and services, as well as a growing presence in Singapore’s important aerospace industry.
Airbus’ success in the country spanned every area of its business, including commercial aircraft, helicopters, defence and space. In addition, the company has developed a strong local presence primarily focussed around high-value services.
Featuring a special “10,000th Airbus” logo on its livery, Singapore Airlines’ new A350-900 jetliner is the 10,000 aircraft delivered to Airbus’ global customer base
Airbus has sold more than 620 civil passenger aircraft to airlines and leasing companies in Singapore, making it one of the top five markets in the region for company.
Customers include Singapore Airlines (SIA), Scoot and Silkair, as well as leading lessor BOC Aviation. Combined, they have placed orders across the Airbus commercial aircraft product line – including the flagship A380 superjumbo, the popular and versatile A330 wide-body, the all-new long-haul A350 XWB and the best-selling single-aisle A320 Family.
Singapore Airlines first became an Airbus customer in May 1979 with an order for the A300B4, the original wide-body twinjet aircraft. Since then, the airline has placed orders for 144 wide-body aircraft from the company.
The carrier was the launch customer for the A380 following the aircraft’s entry into service in 2007. Deliveries of its latest batch of A380s began in December 2017, with Singapore Airlines launching its latest cabin products on these aircraft. Today SIA operates 21 A380s on its flagship routes from Singapore to key points in Europe, the US and selected destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
In January 2009, Singapore Airlines added the popular A330-300 to its fleet under lease agreements. The airline today has 19 A330s in service, operating across the Asia-Pacific region as well as to the Middle East.
Singapore Airlines has ordered 67 A350 XWB aircraft, making it one of the largest customers for the all-new wide-body aircraft. Its first A350-900 was delivered in 2016 and SIA today has 25 aircraft, which the carrier operates on its on long-haul services to Europe, Africa and destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
In September 2018, Singapore Airlines started to receive its seven A350-900 Ultra Long Range (URL) aircraft. This enabled the re-launch of non-stop services from Singapore to New York, which are today the world’s longest commercial flights. The A350-900ULR has been deployed on non-stop services to Los Angeles from November 2018, and will operate on non-stop services to San Francisco by end-2018.
The A320 Family is the product of choice for both full-service and low-cost carriers in Singapore, where Silkair, Scoot and Jetstar Asia operate the aircraft. In 2014, low-cost carrier Tigerair – which later merged with Scoot – ordered 39 A320neo aircraft to renew its fleet and support its future growth plans. Deliveries began in November 2018.
Singapore-based leasing firm BOC Aviation placed its first Airbus order in 1996 with a deal for 12 A320 Family aircraft. Since then the company has ordered 344 aircraft from the A330 and A320 families, making it one of the top 10 customers by the number of orders for Airbus.
Airbus has supplied various models of rotary-wing aircraft to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), including the large transport Super Pumas. In 2016, Singapore signalled its confidence in the H225M – a member of Airbus’ military Super Puma/Cougar family – with a new order to meet its future medium-lift requirements.
In 2014, Singapore ordered the new-generation A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to enhance its air-to-air refuelling capabilities, undertake passenger and cargo transport missions, and support international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations. The first aircraft was delivered to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) in 2018, and made its public debut at the service’s RSAF50 parade in September that year.
Airbus has helped Singapore to become a leader in the near-equatorial space domain, and contributed to its successful TeLEOS-1 national programme with vital equipment and leading-edge test campaigns. The first satellite for Singapore Telecommunications Limited – built by Airbus – was launched in 1988.
In addition, a Singapore-based Geo-Intelligence team focuses on the distribution of Earth observation satellite imagery throughout Asia, providing access for Asian institutions and partners to the Pléiades, SPOT, TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites and constellations.
Airbus has established a major presence in Singapore with several locally incorporated companies that focus on regional customer support, maintenance and training operations.
The Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC), a joint venture owned 55% by Airbus and 45% by Singapore Airlines, began operations at the Seletar Aerospace Park in April 2016. It offers type rating and recurrent training courses for all in-production Airbus types. It also is the largest Airbus flight crew training centre on the globe, with eight simulators in total: three for the A350 XWB (more than any other location in the world), two for Airbus’ A330, two more for its best-selling A320 Family, and one for the double-deck A380.
Airbus Services Asia Pacific (ASAP), which manages the company’s customer support and customer service activities for operators in the region, and Satair Airbus Singapore Centre, the primary spare parts hub for Airbus aircraft for operators in the Asia-Pacific, are also located within the Seletar Aerospace Park.
In 2016, Airbus and SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) incorporated a new joint venture maintenance and overhaul unit, Heavy Maintenance Singapore Services (HMS Services). SIAEC holds a 65% equity stake in HMS Services, with Airbus holding 35%.
Singapore-based Airbus Helicopters Southeast Asia (AHSA) is responsible for sales and customer support activities for the entire helicopter product line in 15 territories in the region. Its activities include new completions and deliveries, maintenance and inspection, modification and retrofit, sale of spares, and technician and pilot training courses.
Airbus sourcing activities in Singapore focus on the procurement of aircraft services, cabin and engine parts, systems and equipment through various suppliers. They include SIAEC, ST Engineering and the local units of Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Thales and United Technologies.
The company also has an important global partnership with ST Aerospace, a subsidiary of Singapore-listed ST Engineering, for the passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion of Airbus A330 and A320 Family aircraft. ST Aerospace markets the conversion programmes worldwide, and the conversion work is carried out at ST Aerospace facilities and a jointly owned subsidiary EFW in Germany.
Singapore is today a strategic partner for advanced research and innovation initiatives. These include programmes in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), as well as government agencies such as the Economic Development Board (EDB) and A*STAR. Airbus has two major innovation projects currently underway in Singapore.
The first is Skyways, which aims to develop a safe and economically viable unmanned aerial parcel delivery system for use in urban environments. The project was launched in February 2016 in association with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and NUS, and SingPost became a logistics partner in 2017. By working with its Singapore partners, Airbus aims to develop an airborne infrastructure solution to address the sustainability and efficiency of parcel delivery businesses in large cities around the world.
The second major innovation project is the Hangar of the Future, which is focused on harnessing the latest digital technologies and autonomous inspection systems to reboot the MRO business, significantly increasing operational efficiency for airlines. This project was launched in 2016 in association with Temasek Polytechnic, and several Singapore start-ups. The project is co-funded by Airbus and the EDB, and trials are ongoing at a test-bed hangar in the Temasek Polytechnic.
