US's Pratt & Whitney opens plant in Singapore

American aircraft-engine maker Pratt & Whitney on Monday announced the official opening of its first manufacturing facility in Singapore, the city state which is the top maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub in Asia.

The 180,000-square-foot (approximately 16,000 square metres) facility, located at Seletar Aerospace Park, will produce fan blades and other key components for Pratt & Whitney's new PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine family, Xinhua cited the company as saying.

"Over the past few years, we have invested more than $1 billion globally to modernise our manufacturing infrastructure. These investments feature advanced manufacturing equipment, tools and special processes which play an integral role as we increase production volumes," said Danny Di Perna, senior vice president of Pratt & Whitney.

"We are delighted to see Pratt & Whitney's relationship with Singapore grow. Its investment in Singapore is a testament to our strengths in complex aerospace manufacturing," said Tan Kong Hwee, director for Transport Engineering, Singapore Economic Development Board.

Pratt & Whitney's new manufacturing facility eyes the developing potential of the city-state's aerospace industry.

Singapore's aerospace industry has grown significantly over the past two decades at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6 percent, outperforming the five percent CAGR of the manufacturing sector, said S. Iswaran, minister for Trade and Industry at A*STAR Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum on Monday.

With about 7,000 orders and commitments, including options, from more than 70 customers in more than 30 countries, Pratt & Whitney's facility proves vital in supporting the GTF engine components to customers in the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe, the company said.