Thailand to Take on Singapore With $5.7 Billion Airport Overhaul

[cyclone]

Thailand to Take on Singapore With $5.7 Billion Airport Overhaul

by Jeanette Rodrigues
May 29, 2017, 4:00 AM GMT+8

Thailand is seeking to take on Singapore’s dominance in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul with a $5.7 billion upgrade of a Vietnam War-era airport.

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Sikorsky Aircraft is the latest company to study a possible increase in MRO spend in Thailand in the wake of the planned revamp of U-Tapao International Airport, said Ajarin Pattanapanchai, deputy secretary general of the nation’s Board of Investment. In March, Airbus SE signed an agreement with Thai Airways International Pcl to evaluate the development of MRO facilities at the civil-military airport near Bangkok.

"Singapore is quite tight right now," Ajarin said in an interview at Bloomberg’s Toronto office on May 25, during a visit to Canada to woo investment. "To catch up with the demand of airlines in the region -- especially new demand from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia -- and given that we have existing strengths with automotives and engineering, Thailand will be the second choice to be the MRO hub."

More details in https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...t-overhaul

[karlmarx]

It will take some time...Why does it seem everyone is looking to steal Singapore's lunch?

[Duskerdawn]

It will take some time...Why does it seem everyone is looking to steal Singapore's lunch?

Cos Lao Lee not around anymore. They gave us one year of mourning, then now they are after our lunch.

(Could also be in response to http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sin...ompetition)

But jokes aside, in business we always know that its easier to innovate (copy other people's ideas) then to create your own (Apple, Microsoft, MacDonalds and almost every other successful company have done that.) So how does a country show that it wants to grow and be the next best thing? They copy from the one that succeeded at being the next best thing.

[mulyc]

That's why it is important to constantly be on our toes and continuously seek betterment and improvement. It is the only to keep these regional plans like they are now, just plans. Because only in a fast changing economy and industry are the barriers to entry much higher. By the time a someone copies your success model, you are miles ahead again.

The question is, how long more can we consistently remain ahead?