Haeco is expanding, and plans to recruit 350 more mechanics over the next two years. BACKED BY MORE than 50 years of experience in the challenging plane repair business, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (Haeco) has done itself and the city proud. It has earned its outstanding reputation, having come a long way from repairing the traditional turboprop aircraft in the 1950s to converting today's modern jets. Over the past few years, the plane repair business has gained momentum as more airlines outsource their maintenance work, and Haeco is in the thick of it. In the next 20 years, 27,000 new aircraft are to be delivered, 29 per cent of which will be orders from Asia-Pacific airlines. For China alone, there will be 2,600 new planes during the same period. It is therefore no surprise that Haeco sees huge business potential ahead. In August, the company signed an agreement with the Airport Authority to build a third hangar, next to its existing facility at Chek Lap Kok. Construction of the HK$380 million project starts next year and it will be operational in 2009. 'This is testament to our faith in the continued robust growth of maintenance repair and overhaul services for the Hong Kong International Airport,' said Ashok Sathianathan, Haeco's director (commercial). 'By almost doubling Haeco's capacity to approximately 3 million man-hours per annum by 2009, when all three hangars are expected to be fully operational, we will be well placed to leverage the market potential and enhance Hong Kong's status as a major aviation hub capable of providing world-class maintenance services.' With increased capacity, Haeco plans to recruit 350 more mechanics over the next two years. This is in addition to 450 to 500 staff now being trained for the second hangar. Haeco's international service is in full swing, with Cathay Pacific taking more than 35 per cent of its maintenance capacity. About 70 airlines worldwide use its round-the-clock line and base maintenance service. Haeco's franchise agreement with the Airport Authority is valid until 2036, further boosting its confidence in its business developments. Thomas Ng, general manager (personnel), said the company was searching for young people with a strong sense of responsibility and enthusiasm in aircraft engineering to be trained as craftsmen. Craftsmen's duties are to remove and install aircraft components according to the Civil Aviation Department's air worthiness standards. As all these involve sophisticated procedures, they must follow the maintenance manual strictly by using the approved tools to ensure aviation safety. 'Most air disasters are often the result of human error,' Mr Ng said. 'Craftsmen must therefore possess high alertness of safety standards. We expect an excellent quality of work with absolutely zero defects. Preventive measures must be taken to avoid any errors.' The basic entrance requirements for craftsman trainees are Secondary Five education and preferably a foundation diploma (technical stream)/vocational certificate (engineering discipline) or equivalent. Trainees will receive one-year training to become craftsmen. They can climb the career ladder by receiving further training to become tradesmen, approved and licensed technicians and engineers, as well as other senior positions. Those with higher qualifications will be admitted to other trainee schemes. Upon completion, they will become tradesmen or technicians instead of craftsmen. The average monthly income for a craftsman is about HK$10,000; and HK$20,000 and HK$40,000 for a licensed technician and licensed engineer, respectively. The recruitment's success rate is 25 to 30 per cent. 'This is because most candidates are unsure of their interest and are unable to show a committed job aptitude. Many fail our English written test designed to assess their ability to read manual specifications to do maintenance tasks,' Mr Ng explained. The right person Enthusiasm in aircraft engineering Strong sense of responsibility High awareness of safety standards Ability to follow English manual instructions Keen on continued learning