A*STAR, SIA & SIAEC sign deals for cabins, AI

Two joint lab agreements have been signed between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC). Building on the success of the first phase of collaborations that took place between 2019 and 2024, the two new joint labs will kickstart the second phase – focusing on scaling smart and sustainable advanced manufacturing capabilities for aircraft cabin components and developing AI-driven solutions to further strengthen operational reliability and maintenance efficiency across the airline value chain.

Phase I explored opportunities to improve cabin parts manufacturing efficiency, applied data and AI-driven approaches to further enhance maintenance and operational performance.

Key outcomes from Phase I included:

• Local development and manufacturing of over 100,000 aircraft cabin components, contributing to 30–50% reduction in parts lead time, which would support operations in the event of supply disruption.
• Development of sustainable repair processes, extending lifespan of cabin components, reducing material waste.
• Deployment of AI-driven solutions within SIA and SIAEC to further enable early detection of potential operational delays and minimise incidents. This increases the ability to manage fleet reliability more proactively and reduce unplanned disruptions.
• Creation of business opportunities for 28 local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by integrating them into the local supply chain supporting the aerospace manufacturing and maintenance sector. This strengthens local capabilities and supports ecosystem growth.

To further strengthen local aerospace manufacturing capabilities, reduce parts turnaround time and minimise material waste, A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (A*STAR SIMTech), SIA, and SIAEC launched a new joint lab in September 2025 which will run till 2030. The collaboration focuses on the manufacturing of larger and more complex aircraft cabin components by leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies. This includes fabrication and repair of business class seat components as well as manufacturing aerospace grade laminate sheets used in aircraft cabins. It will also advance automation and digitalisation of MRO operations, through intelligent wheel bearing inspection, brake cleaning via robotics and smarter capacity planning.

The second joint lab between A*STAR, SIA, and SIAEC has been operating since October 2025 and will run till 2028. It focuses on GenAI-enabled solutions to further advance the transformation of airline operations, maintenance planning and processes. This include applying advanced analytics and GenAI to detect potential disruptions earlier, co-pilots to optimise workflows, and enhance overall operational resilience and service quality.

“A*STAR is Singapore’s strategic innovation engine, where we turn research into industry-ready solutions through our world-class talent, infrastructure and technological expertise. Our collaboration with SIA and SIAEC is the perfect example of how co-innovation in smart and sustainable advanced manufacturing and AI is future-proofing Singapore’s aerospace ecosystem,” said Prof Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief Executive of A*STAR’s Science and Engineering Research Council.

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