Singapore "Can-Do" Pilot Seat Repairs

Stelia pilots’ seats are installed on every Airbus aircraft type and since the facility started operations repairs have been carried out on seats for Airbus Asia Training Centre, HAECO, Cebu Pacific Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines and Asiana Airlines.

Previously these repairs had been outsourced to a local business partner, but following a business case being made for these repairs to be done ‘in-house’, a project team was set up to plan the new venture.

Comprising Product Management, Repair Shop, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality and Operations personnel, the team worked together to overcome all challenges. They had to ensure that the facility and working environment was appropriate for the planned work, that the necessary personnel were available to carry out the work and that the appropriate equipment, tools and material were available. On top, ensuring that everything meet regulatory standards and data procedures and that certifying staff and support staff had a good understanding of the relevant aircraft components to be maintained.

Working with such a strong commitment and ‘can-do’ attitude, the repair facility was completed on time and passed both regulatory and Stelia Aerospace audits after only six months.

But regional customers still had to be won over. Vital support was given by the Stelia regional Customer Support Manager whose long-standing relationship with end users in the area was key. He helped in overseeing the repairs of customers’ seats and Satair Group employed an experienced technician from the previous repair shop to carry out the work.

In the words of Selvakumar Kasi Pandiyan, Satair Group Engineer for Stelia Cockpit: “I stumbled upon many challenges as I tried to repair the seats but my belief in Satair Group’s core values, ‘Can-do-attitude’ and ‘customer and supplier focus’ guided me to face these challenges with confidence and successfully meet the expectations of my customers within the deadline.”

Once the first units were repaired and re-delivered on time and on cost, customers were convinced and more seat repairs have followed to ensure a bright future for this new capability.