Research centre aims to trim costs of plane repairs

A Hong Kong university has opened the first phase of a research centre aimed at helping aircraft maintenance companies cope with the rapid growth of aviation in Asia while cutting costs.

The Aviation Services Research Centre at the Polytechnic University, a joint venture with aircraft-industry giant Boeing, specialises in research and development technology used in aeroplane maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

Boeing forecasts global demand for more than 35,000 new planes worth US$4.8 trillion over the next 20 years, with nearly 13,000 destined for the Asia Pacific region - worth nearly US$1.9 billion.

Greg Hyslop, vice-president and general manager of Boeing Research and Technology, said cutting costs was probably the biggest challenge for MRO.

"When you think about the overall life of an aircraft, you need to reduce the cost over the entire life cycle of the aircraft and that does require technology," he said.

The centre, opened yesterday, will put an emphasis on developing technology that will reduce costs and be immediately applicable, including mechanical refurbishment of parts and laser-projected drilling templates.

With associated programmes at the university, it will also train engineers to enter the MRO industry. A new top-up degree in air transport engineering is set to recruit 40 engineers for the 2014-2015 academic year.