Remarks by Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling at Groundbreaking Ceremony of Bombardier’s New Site Expansion

Colleagues from the High Commission of Canada, 

Distinguished Guests,

Good afternoon. 

1.             Thank you for having me here today for this significant milestone. 

2.             Today’s groundbreaking is more than just an expansion of Bombardier’s operations in Singapore. It reflects Bombardier’s confidence in Singapore and our strong partnership. The company is deeply embedded with our local ecosystem. This thriving relationship mirrors the strong and close friendship between Canada and Singapore, underpinned by more than 60 years of bilateral relations. 

3.             Bombardier’s journey in Singapore began in 2013, with the facility officially opening its doors in 2014. Since then, Bombardier has grown steadily in our island state. It has expanded its investments in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), fixed-base operator (FBO) services, and business aircraft refurbishment, serving customers across the region. 

4.             Today’s groundbreaking marks another major step forward. I am glad to see Bombardier deepening its roots in Singapore, managing, orchestrating, as well as integrating its operations in the region from Singapore. 

a.    This expansion cements Singapore’s place at the heart of Bombardier’s Asia Pacific operations. The 3.0-hectare site will strengthen its position as the largest MRO facility in the Asia-Pacific. It will also almost double Bombardier’s MRO footprint here and expand its output and capabilities to undertake more complex work. This reinforces Singapore’s position as a leading business aviation hub in the region. 

b.    Bombardier’s expansion will contribute to our local ecosystem by deepening industry partnerships and creating opportunities for our workers. 

For instance, as a new anchor member of A*STAR’s Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre, Bombardier will work with our local R&D ecosystem to advance next-generation MRO solutions. This includes digitalisation, automation and the use of AI to make operations safer, more efficient, and more reliable. 

5.             Operations in the expanded facility are expected to begin in 2028. With this growth, Bombardier anticipates growing its Singapore workforce by more than 60%, creating about 200 skilled jobs in engineering, design and MRO. 

6.             Singapore is committed to being a partner that companies like Bombardier can count on. We strive on providing a pro-business environment, in staying predictable and offering a safe environment so that companies can focus on running businesses from Singapore. We will continue to invest in our people, our capabilities, and our ecosystem. JTC’s development of Seletar Aerospace Park is one of the many ways we continually strive to enhance our value proposition. Together, these efforts boost our aviation hub’s attractiveness. 

7.             This is always an iterative process – we will continue to work with partners to hear your feedback and how we can improve ourselves as an investment location. That is why the Singapore government launched the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) in August last year and announced the committees’ recommendations just about a month ago. This goes to show that Singapore will always work with MNCs, like Bombardier, to ensure that Singapore’s ecosystem is future-ready. 

8.             To the Bombardier team — congratulations on this significant milestone. We look forward to building the next chapter together as we journey with you to support your growth. 

9.             Thank you.