The opening of a new 20,000m2 repair and overhaul base at Singapore's Changi Airport on 27 February will be among the highlights of Asian Aerospace 2002, demonstrating the continuing development of Rolls-Royce's global partnerships in aerospace.
Singapore Aero Engine Service (SAESL) will specialise in the maintenance of Rolls-Royce Trent engines and is a joint venture between SIA Engineering (SIAEC), Hong Kong Aero Engine Services (HAESL), and Rolls-Royce.
SAESL will initially be responsible for maintaining Singapore Airlines' Trent 800 engines which power its Boeing 777s, but will also serve the growing number of Trent customers in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East.
The partners have invested more than $100 million in the company, creating an operation capable of overhauling 200 Trent engines each year, including Trent 700, 500 and 900 models, and employing more than 400 highly skilled local people.
SAESL is a strategic Asian addition to the global network of Rolls-Royce sites, complementing HAESL, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering, an affiliate of Cathay Pacific, and SIAEC.
John Cheffins, chief operating officer, Rolls-Royce, says: "This new Singapore facility is undoubtedly the best overhaul shop I've ever seen and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the workforce has to be experienced to be believed. It's also very environmentally-friendly and I'm confident that it will grow into a hugely important part of our worldwide business."
Cheffins is also confident that the show will be successful for the company. He says: "Asian Aerospace is an excellent show. It's compact with good facilities and the opportunities for ‘networking' are better than at some other venues.
"The only downside is that the flying display isn't so relevant as at Paris of Farnborough as it's too short in duration and rather a long way away from the exhibition area.
Powered
"This is why Airbus Industrie, after consulting us, decided not to display either the A340-600 or -500, both of which are powered by the Trent 500."
The A340-600 is scheduled to enter service with Virgin Atlantic in June this year, while the -500 flew for the first time from Toulouse on 11 February.
Cheffins sees the entire Asia-Pacific region as hugely important for Rolls-Royce. "Although the region is dominated by Japan, where the economy is still uncertain, I believe that in overall terms the future is better than some would have us believe. Individual places will probably pick up sooner than the economists predict and, of course, the situation with China Ð post WTO Ð is largely unknown although the effects are likely to be positive."
Rolls-Royce already has a strong presence in Singapore in component repair and refurbishment with International Engine Component (IECO), located a mile away from SAESL in Loyang. IECO, now in its fourth year of operation, is a joint venture, owned equally by Rolls-Royce and SIAEC, and is a specialist operation overhauling nozzle guide vanes and compressor stator vanes for both Trent and RB211 engines.
Engine maintenance is part of a suite of Rolls-Royce products and services tailored to individual customer requirements to ensure predictable operations at a fixed cost per flying hour.
Data Systems and Solutions, a partnership with Rolls-Royce and US-based Science Applications International, has designed a range of services, including aeromanager.com, the company's new web-based portal, which enables customers to access a range of on-line services, including real-time engine health monitoring, fleet planning and technical information.
New risk and revenue sharing partners have also joined Rolls-Royce on its Trent 900 engine development programme for Airbus Industrie's A380. Marubeni of Japan signed recently, bringing Ishikawajima Harima Industries (IHI) and Korea's Samsung into the programme as associate suppliers. They join FiatAvio, Goodrich, Hamilton Sundstrand, Honeywell and Volvo who entered agreements with Rolls-Royce in 2001. The Trent 900 is already selected by Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Qantas and ILFC.
Key partnerships have helped to create a strong presence by Rolls-Royce in key defence programmes around the world Ð including the Eurofighter Typhoon, the US/UK Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the NH90 and EH101 helicopters and BAE Hawk trainer.
Contract
Rolls-Royce has now signed a $1 billion contract with JSF F135 propulsion system prime contractor Pratt & Whitney covering further development work, over 10 years, on specialist short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) technologies for the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft. Rolls-Royce also teamed with General Electric on the F136 propulsion system, in which it holds a 40% share, for JSF.
In the Asian region, Rolls-Royce assisted in establishing local support facilities for the T56 engine (for the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules) in Malaysia and Singapore, for the Adour (for the Hawk) in Malaysia and Indonesia, for the Model 250 (for a range of helicopters) in Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, and for the Spey, Tay, Dart and Trent engines in Indonesia.
Source: Flight Daily News
