Shanghai, 17 March 2010 – ST Aerospace and China Eastern Airlines (CEA) today announced that their joint venture company, Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company Limited (STARCO), has unveiled its latest hangar complex at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China.

The newly completed 14,200 sqm (152,848 sq ft) hangar complex can accommodate two narrow-body aircraft and three wide-body aircraft (which include an Airbus A380) at any one time.  The facility costs about RMB290m (approximately US$42m).  The increased capacity enables STARCO, which has been operating at maximum capacity, to grow its operations.  The strategic location of the new facility at Pudong International Airport complements existing operations at Hongqiao International Airport and at the same time, provides flexibility to STARCO’s customers operating and flying into Shanghai.  This new hangar increases ST Aerospace’s total hangar capacity to 45 narrow-body bays and 28 wide-body bays located in key aviation hubs around the world.

“STARCO has grown from strength to strength over the last five years, providing outstanding maintenance support to CEA’s fleet while remaining committed as the largest aircraft maintenance player in Shanghai, serving both Chinese and international airlines.  STARCO’s expansion to a second location at Pudong International Airport solidifies the successful partnership between CEA and ST Aerospace.  We are confident of STARCO’s continual support to CEA and customers within and outside China.  With Shanghai’s plan to develop the city into a strong international economic, financial, trading and transportation hub, we look forward to STARCO growing its role as a key player in China’s commercial aviation market.”
                                                                                                                           ~ LI Yangmin, Vice President, CEA and Chairman, STARCO

“The expansion of STARCO at Pudong International Airport enhances our capacity to meet the growing maintenance needs of customers, within and from outside of China.  The increased capacity attests to our confidence in China’s growing commercial aviation market and STARCO’s ability to grow our external market as part of ST Aerospace’s global network.  We are pleased that STARCO has done well in supporting CEA, as well as international customers from ST Aerospace’s global customer base.  We look forward to growing STARCO’s capabilities and capacities to provide better support to our customers.”
                                                                                            ~ TAY Kok Khiang, President, ST Aerospace and Deputy Chairman, STARCO

STARCO is a joint venture company between CEA and ST Aerospace.  Operated and managed as part of ST Aerospace’s global network of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, STARCO specialises in commercial airframe heavy maintenance and modifications.  It has successfully completed major works on more than 350 aircraft since it commenced operations in January 2005.  STARCO now operates from Hongqiao and Pudong airports in Shanghai, with a total of three hangars that can simultaneously accommodate three narrow-body aircraft and six wide-body aircraft.  It is equipped to carry out heavy maintenance and modification for Airbus A300, A310, A320, A330, A340, Boeing 737CG/NG, 747, MD-11, MD-80 and MD-90.  Serving Chinese and international airlines in China, STARCO’s customers include China Eastern Airlines group of airlines, Air India, Air Macau, Airbridge Cargo, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Cargo Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Jet Airways, Juneyao Airlines, Kuzu Air Cargo, Pacific Airlines, Pegasus, Shanghai Cargo Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Spring Airlines.  A Civil Aviation Administration of China-approved facility, STARCO has also obtained certifications from other airworthiness authorities including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Joint Maintenance Management (JMM).

Supporting CEA’s role as an official airline partner of the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai, STARCO has successfully completed livery painting on four of the designated World Exposition 2010 Shanghai aircraft.  The fourth aircraft was launched on 20 January 2010, celebrating 100 days to the official opening of the world’s most anticipated event of the year. 

STARCO’s expansion into Pudong will enhance and complement ST Aerospace’s business operations in China, namely ST Aerospace Technologies (Xiamen) Company Limited, an engine MRO and total support services facility; and ST Aerospace Guangzhou Aero-Technologies and Engineering Company Limited (GATE), an import / export facility.

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CEA (China Eastern Airlines) is China’s second largest airline, operating a network of airline branches in key parts of China.  With Shanghai as its main hub and Kunming and Xian its secondary hubs, CEA plies across 500 international and domestic routes in 150 major cities with a fleet of 330 aircraft.  CEA is the official airline partner of the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai.  Besides running an airline, CEA owns more than 10 subsidiaries in various businesses including import and export, finance, airline catering, property, media and advertising, manufacturing and training.  CEA has assets amounting to RMB73 billion.  Please visit www.ceair.com.

ST Aerospace (Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd) is the aerospace arm of ST Engineering.  Operating a global MRO network with facilities in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, it is the world’s largest aircraft MRO provider with a global customer base that includes leading airlines, airfreight and military operators.  ST Aerospace is an integrated service provider that offers a spectrum of maintenance and engineering services including airframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering design and technical services; and aviation materials and management services, including Total Aviation Support.  ST Aerospace has a global staff strength of more than 7,000 engineers and technical specialists.  Please visit www.staero.aero.

Media Contact: 

Audrey Tan
Head, Corporate Communications
ST Aerospace
Tel: (65) 6380 6152
Fax: (65) 6280 8213
Email: audreytan@stengg.com