ST Engineering, SF Airlines JV Opens China Airframe MRO Hangar

ST Engineering Aerospace (HuBei) Aviation Services, a joint venture between ST Engineering and Chinese cargo carrier SF Airlines, has opened a new maintenance facility in China.

The joint venture (JV) was established in 2023 and focuses on MRO services including base and line maintenance to the SF Airlines fleet and third-party customers at Ezhou Huahu Airport in China’s eastern Hubei Province—a dedicated cargo airport servicing domestic and international routes.

SF Airlines, headquartered in Shenzhen, is China’s largest freighter airline by fleet size. The carrier operates a fleet of Boeing 737, 747, 757 and 767 aircraft. ST Engineering holds a 60% majority stake in the JV with the cargo airline holding the remaining share.

The first hangar is due to induct its inaugural aircraft on Aug. 12. A second hangar is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2027. Once operational in two years’ time, both hangars will have capacity for up to four widebody or eight narrowbody aircraft simultaneously.

With market demand expected to further grow, both JV partners haven’t ruled out further expansion to the facility by four additional hangars at the site.

“With China leading in global aviation growth, Ezhou’s emergence as a logistics and aviation hub makes it a strategic location from which to serve freight and airline operators,” said Jeffrey Lam, President Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering. “Our new facility in Ezhou is well positioned to meet the rising MRO needs of operators in China and across the region.”

SF Airlines Chairman Li Sheng said, “As Hubei province’s aviation industry cluster rapidly takes shape, the establishment of the airframe MRO facility in Ezhou presents broad development prospects. With strong support from all sectors, the new facility will fully leverage industrial chain synergies to build a competitive maintenance brand.”

The facility employs around 200 technical staff. Longer-term, both parties expect to generate up to 700 technician jobs when both hangars are fully operational. The facility has also invested in smart technologies such as robotics and digital systems to support hangar operations.