GE Investing To Bolster Asia MRO Sites

GE Aerospace is to invest $75 million across its MRO operations in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, Asia-Pacific (APAC).

Having already invested $45 million in the region last year, GE is looking to lower turnaround times for shop visits by funding new engine test cells, equipment and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled inspection technology. And with material and parts shortages still a live issue, the OEM is also seeking to develop more repair component capabilities.

GE’s Seletar, Singapore, facility already handles 60% of its global component repair volumes, and the OEM wants to turn the site into a technology incubator that advances repair capabilities through additive manufacturing, robotics, automation and digitalization. This process is already underway and should be complete next year.

GE will also channel significant investment into the Subang, Malaysia, facility for CFM56 and Leap overhauls, aiming to double the Leap engine MRO shop visit capacity within the next three years. It will also build an engine test facility for Leap-1A and -1B engines.

CFM56 maintenance across APAC is worth roughly $5 billion this year, declining to $3.2 billion by 2034, according to the Aviation Week Network’s Commercial Fleet and MRO Forecast 2025. The data also show that Leap maintenance in the region will rise from less than $1 billion this year to $4.3 billion by 2034.

Apart from GE Engine Services Malaysia, the other Leap overhaul facilities are ST Engineering in Singapore, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai in China, and SSAMC, the Air China-CFM joint venture in Chengdu, China. Korean Air is also building a huge new engine maintenance facility, capable of overhauling the Leap, with completion set for 2027.

GE is also investing in South Korea to upgrade the capabilities of its on-wing support facility. “Aviation activity is really booming across APAC today, with sustained growth driving demand for advanced MRO capabilities and next-generation aviation technology,” said Farah Borges, GE Aerospace’s vice president of assembly, test and MRO.