Quickstep links with ST Engineering for nacelle market

Aerospace composites manufacturer Quickstep today announced that it has signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Singapore’s ST Engineering’s Commercial Aerospace business to collaborate on the aircraft nacelle MRO market.

Quickstep Group CEO Mark Burgess told the Australian Manufacturing Forum: “The focus of this collaboration is on MRO and technical support of engine nacelles, which represents approximately 60 percent of all targeted airframe component support by value across the complete range of Boeing and Airbus commercial aircraft in the Australasian market.

“This is an incredibly exciting step that will allow Quickstep to bid, on a competitive basis, into approximately 50 percent of the regional market by volume that was previously difficult to access, with a positive impact on our growth projections for the Aftermarket line of business.”

The collaboration agreement, announced today at the MRO Asia Pacific exhibition in Singapore, allowed for:

A jointly offered comprehensive nacelle services support concept with local market presence and global network access
Quickstep will maintain local presence for ST Engineering on a range of licensed nacelle products
ST Engineering will enhance local capability, including replacement assets located in Australia
The opportunity to develop additional capability in nacelle and aerospace component support in the region
And onshore and regional capability for new-generation aircraft.

Burgess said: “For airline customers, this will offer faster turn times, significantly lower transportation and inventory costs, and an approximately 60 percent reduction in carbon emissions associated with offshore component repair.

“…We intend to reverse a 30-year trend of offshoring and capitalise on the attractive combination of Quickstep’s local capability and ST Engineering’s global expertise and experience in nacelle maintenance.”