Can you please provide a brief background of EXCEL Aerospace and highlight the aircraft interior projects you are currently working on?

Excel Aerospace is an approved MRO based in Singapore that provides economic-solutions support-shop to both operators and hangars in the region. We have a strong delivery history and over a decade of experience in this industry. Our core business is aircraft interiors, and we constantly undertake projects with cost-efficient overheads. Our mission is to deliver products and services at European quality standards but at Asian pricing. We maintain a certain quality of image, and our office reflects the exquisite design that we provide in aircraft interiors. We have a faster turn around time compared to our competitors.

How does Excel Aerospace source new clients and partnerships?

In our industry, the best way to gain new customers is through word of mouth. We manage our overhead and operational costs well while maintaining high standards in all our deliveries by investing in skills, automation, and support logistics. We work closely with our customers to listen to their needs and challenges. Excel Aerospace fine-tunes its activities and capabilities to support our customers’ needs and enables them to concentrate on other priority matters.

Excel Aerospace is growing at a rapid pace, could you describe your near-future expansion plans?

Excel Aerospace is currently moving into the next phase of growth, and we have invested in a 3/4-hectare land at Seletar Airport, which will be developed into a 4-story building and 11,000 sqm facility. We would like to work with other companies that want to expand in Asia to develop synergies with new partners. While we can grow organically to a certain level, we need to rely on partners to continue expanding to meet the growing demands in the region.

 Do you expect your operations to grow alongside the demand emerging in the Asia-Pacific region?

Yes, we do. The Asia-Pacific region will be the economic center of gravity for at least the next 20 years. The percentage of growing nations is vast, and many countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, among others, have enormous potential. Asia has three of the world’s largest populations, and the region’s borders are not like Europe or America, where one can drive across long stretches. Travelling northwards on land is a challenge due to its many borders, uneven terrains, underdeveloped roads, and security levels. From West to East, there are the Himalayas. If we attempt to go by sea, we have the typhoon seasons and also piracy problems that we are trying to resolve. Sea routes currently are mainly freight only, and we see very little or no services for passenger travel. The only way to move the masses in the region is by air. Demand for aircraft will increase, and we expect to have a strong presence in this rapidly growing market.

What challenges are MROs currently facing?

MROs have to change their mindset to become more competitive. The glory days in this region are gone, and now, most aerospace businesses are expanding sideways rather than vertically, regardless of whether these expansion plans are repetitive or duplicating others. Without steady jobs and a commitment to grow, cost will surely go up with added depreciation and low productivity. Therefore, we need to explore innovation and develop workable processes to face new challenges and build up rather than out.