SINGAPORE - Safran Landing Systems inaugurated an expansion of its landing-gear maintenance operation in Loyang on Sept. 22.

The 7,500 sq m addition at 66 Loyang Way is about 250 metres from the company’s existing facility at 21 Loyang Crescent and takes Safran Landing Systems Services Singapore’s total footprint to 20,500 sq m. Safran said the investment was US$22 million.

The new building includes an assembly line dedicated to landing-gear overhauls and is intended to serve airline customers across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Safran’s inauguration statement said the expanded operation provides inspection, machining, surface treatment, assembly and final certification.

The Singapore site handles landing systems for aircraft including the Airbus A320 family, A330, A350 and A380, Boeing 737 and 787, and ATR regional aircraft.

Managing director Benoit Graby said the expansion would increase capacity by 40%. The Business Times reported that the new assembly line is about twice the size of its predecessor and is expected to ship 2.5 complete landing-gear sets a week once the new site enters full operation in October.

Safran said the Singapore operation currently employs 360 people and that the expansion is expected to create nearly 100 additional jobs by 2030. The company said the investment would also enable advanced repair technologies and continued technical training at the site.

Safran Landing Systems Services Singapore is a joint venture in which Safran holds 60% and SIA Engineering Company 40%, according to SIA Engineering’s joint-venture profile.

The Singapore operation dates to 1979, with the SIA Engineering partnership established in 2000. Following the expansion, Singapore is Safran’s largest landing-gear MRO location in Asia-Pacific and its second-largest globally.

The new building also has 800 solar panels covering 2,800 sq m. Safran expects the installation to generate renewable electricity equivalent to about 60% of the site’s consumption.

Cindy Koh, executive vice-president of the Singapore Economic Development Board, said the expansion “brings advanced repair technologies to Singapore” and would help create “good jobs and rewarding career pathways for Singaporeans.”