Message by AAIS

After a challenging two years, the Singapore aerospace industry has been on a recovery trend, with early signs of growth. Since March 2022, the industry – represented by aerospace MRO, manufacturing, and ancillary services – has been operating at near or above pre-pandemic output, with preliminary manufacturing data indicating aerospace output for September 2022 to have grown 16% against 2019 (baseline) levels.

Around the world, a significant portion of air travel demand has recovered, with the global fleet size estimated at 25,578 in 2022. Barring any other Black Swan events or global calamities, analysts are expecting air travel to continue its rise, with global fleet size to expand by 27% (in total) in the next five years and a further 17% (in total) in the subsequent 5 years. This means that by 2032, over 38,000 aircraft are anticipated to be used for commercial aviation globally.

Singapore is well-positioned to capture the demand for global MRO and aftermarket services given its status as an air hub. Our aerospace ecosystem covers nose-to-tail services with the presence of aircraft manufacturers and OEMs supported by a comprehensive supply chain including service providers. We have a strong reputation that has been built collectively – through the efforts of government partners, institutions of higher learning, industry players, and aerospace professionals who give their best every day to deliver world-class and efficient service.

Underpinning this, is a strong commitment to safety. This is an industry built around safety, and the very intent of maintenance and upkeep of an aircraft is to ensure its airworthiness. The regulatory systems for aviation and aerospace are built upon the basis of safety, and we appreciate that essentially, safety is the foundation of our livelihoods.

As the tempo of work ramps up, safety must continue to be a top priority. Disruption from the pandemic has introduced new challenges – in the upkeep of aircraft, especially those kept in storage. The introduction of new technologies as well as changes to the operating environment have also introduced additional considerations. Furthermore, there is an influx of new recruits to the industry who will need to be familiarised not just with Workplace Safety and Health practices but also aviation safety considerations. Experienced personnel, just as well, will benefit from a continuous refresh on safety.

At this critical juncture, AAIS, as the industry association, has called on our members to reiterate our commitment to safety through the inaugural AAIS Industry Safety Week. Through various activities and resources, we hope to augment the efforts of our members in driving the message of safety in their respective organisations.

A key element of AAIS Industry Safety Week is the opportunity for cross-learning through platforms for sharing between members, industry leaders, regulators and safety organisations/ teams. The AAIS Safety microsite (https://aais.org.sg/safety), launched in conjunction with safety week, aims to be a repository of safety resources that the industry can turn to for sharing and gleaning best practices, safety-related collaterals and activities. We are grateful to those who have contributed and shared their insights and materials, and we look forward to further contributions from all industry members.

AAIS is proud to join our members as a signatory of the Singapore Aviation Safety Charter. We will continue to support the industry in proliferating the aviation safety message to cement our position as the aerospace MRO hub in the region.

This message was originally written for
AAIS Industry Safety Week
14 – 18 November 2022