Hawker Pacific has a strong presence in Asia Pacific. Could you describe your presence in the region and elaborate on the services offered to your clients?

Hawker Pacific was established in Australia, and started its operations in Singapore by providing technical consultation for the Republic of Singapore Air Force back in 1969. Since then, the company has grown, establishing a technical support facility in Singapore and growing this over the years to become one of the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operators in Singapore’s Seletar Airport, providing maintenance, modifications, upgrades and other aircraft support services. We are now fleet-support market leaders for civilian and military aircraft and our dedicated team can provide integrated solutions across the value chain of aviation. We have aircraft maintenance facilities located across the Asia Pacific region in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Australia and New Zealand, supporting some of the largest business and general aviation manufacturers such as Beechcraft, Bell Helicopters, Bombardier, Cessna, Daher-Socata, Dassault Falcon Jets, Diamond, Embraer Executive Jets and Hawker. Fixed Base Operator (FBO) and handling services are also available at our locations in Singapore, Shanghai, Perth, Cairns, Sydney and Brisbane.

Hawker Pacific also offers aircraft sales, aircraft management, special missions support and component repair out of Australia, and spares distribution through our warehouse in Hong Kong. We also have representative offices in China and Indonesia, and a facility in Dubai, which offers rotary-wing maintenance and component support.

What kinds of trends for business aviation have developed in the Asia Pacific region over time and what key drivers will we see for the segment’s continued growth?

The key drivers for the growth of the business aviation sector will be the increased demand stemming from countries that have a sizeable aircraft fleet, such as China, Indonesia, and even Malaysia. Customers are growing increasingly aware of how using a business aircraft can increase their productivity when pursuing business interests in emerging economies – this can be seen from increasing sales of business aircraft for personal use, particularly in Indonesia. Business owners recognize that the aircraft is a business tool, allowing them to connect between continents and places which may not always have well-established commercial transportation links, and this allows them to save on time which they value above all else.

Could you highlight Hawker Pacific Singapore’s key objectives for the next 3-5 years?

We are increasing sales and the geographical reach of our aircraft support services, and growing and investing in our pool of skilled labor which currently sits at approximately 150 people. We work alongside the Singapore government to attract the younger generations into business aviation, which remains a niche segment of the market. It is a key growth area which has witnessed many polytechnics offering aircraft maintenance and aerospace-related courses over the past five years.  Hawker Pacific is looking into developing new opportunities in-country and throughout the SEA region. We are always open to partnerships and joint ventures wherever the demand requires it.