Strata Manufacturing PJSC has secured Approved Maintenance Organization certification from the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority, enabling the Mubadala-owned aerostructures manufacturer to expand its operations into the aircraft component maintenance, repair, and overhaul sector.

Announced in a press release on October 6, 2026, the CAR-145 certification marks a strategic shift for the Al Ain-based company. After more than a decade focused exclusively on manufacturing advanced-composite aerostructures, Strata will now offer component maintenance, repair, and inspection services to the global aerospace market.

Regulatory approval and strategic expansion

The CAR-145 regulation governs the approval of maintenance organizations within the UAE, ensuring facilities meet international safety and quality standards for aircraft and component maintenance. By securing this certification, Strata transitions from a pure-play manufacturer to a dual-capability aerospace provider.

Aqeel Al Zarouni, Assistant Director General of the Aviation Safety Affairs Sector at the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), stated that the certification strengthens the sector’s readiness by enabling national companies to undertake maintenance activities within a robust regulatory framework.

Sara Abdulla Al Memari, Acting CEO of Strata, framed the approval as a milestone in the company’s evolution and a critical step in diversifying its business model.

“This certification opens new horizons for Strata in aircraft component maintenance activities, further strengthening our global position and building on our distinguished manufacturing journey since 2010,” Al Memari said.

Building on a manufacturing foundation

Established in 2009 and commencing production the following year, Strata operates from the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace park. The company serves as a Tier 1 supplier to major original equipment manufacturers, including Airbus, Boeing, Leonardo, Pilatus, SAAB, and SABCA.

Over the past 16 years, the facility has scaled from a single production line to more than 30, delivering over 120,000 advanced-composite aerostructure components to the global supply chain. The move into the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) segment leverages this existing composite expertise, applying manufacturing precision to component repair and inspection.

The UAE has actively developed its domestic aerospace manufacturing and maintenance capabilities to diversify its economy and establish Abu Dhabi as a global aviation hub. The GCAA’s regulatory framework ensures these localized operations meet stringent international standards, allowing domestic firms to compete for global contracts.

Recent partnerships and production growth

The MRO certification follows a series of capacity and capability expansions for the manufacturer. In November 2025, Strata signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Airbus to manufacture ailerons for the Airbus A320 family, a deal designed to meet 50 percent of the European manufacturer’s global demand for the component.

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During the same month, the company partnered with Sanad and Sindan to integrate artificial intelligence, robotics, and 3D printing into its aerospace production and maintenance operations. Most recently, at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026, Strata and Embraer signed an agreement to evaluate work packages for the Embraer E2 aircraft family, signaling further diversification of its manufacturing portfolio.

AirPro News analysis

We view Strata’s entry into the MRO sector as a natural maturation of the UAE’s domestic aerospace strategy. For years, Abu Dhabi has invested heavily through Mubadala Investment Company to build a localized manufacturing base. By adding CAR-145 certification, Strata can now capture aftermarket revenue on the very composite technologies it has spent a decade perfecting.

As modern commercial aircraft rely increasingly on advanced composites, the demand for specialized component repair facilities will grow. Strata is positioning itself to service that demand directly, reducing regional reliance on European and North American MRO providers while creating a more vertically integrated aerospace ecosystem within the UAE.

Pursuit Aerospace has acquired UK-based Creasey Castings Limited and initiated a major expansion of its facility in Tunis, Tunisia, to address ongoing supply chain constraints in aerospace magnesium sandcasting.

In a press release issued on October 6, 2026, the Connecticut-headquartered manufacturer detailed the investments aimed at increasing furnace and shell line capacity while bringing critical processes like simulation, heat treatment, and non-destructive testing in-house.

Expanding global casting footprint

The acquisition of Creasey Castings Limited, completed on August 11, 2026, integrates a Sittingbourne, UK-based facility with more than 35 years of heritage in producing high-precision castings. The addition complements Pursuit Aerospace’s existing portfolio of magnesium and aluminum sandcastings, as well as nickel and cobalt-based investment castings.

Concurrently, the company began expanding its aerospace casting operations in Tunis on September 3, 2026. The project will increase the facility’s square footage by 40 percent, bringing the total operational space to 140,000 square feet. Once the expansion is complete, the Tunis site is expected to support a workforce of more than 1,000 employees.

These actions significantly increase our investment and sandcasting capacity and add new capabilities to our casting operations. These investments demonstrate our continuing commitment to support the most important needs of our customers, now and into the future.

The statement was provided by Ben Adams, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Pursuit Aerospace.

Aggressive growth since 2023 merger

Pursuit Aerospace was formed in February 2023 following the merger of Whitcraft Group and Paradigm Precision. Backed by private equity firms Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Greenbriar Equity Group, the global manufacturer of complex aircraft engine components has executed a rapid consolidation strategy within the aerospace supply chain.

The Creasey Castings purchase marks the sixth acquisition completed by Pursuit Aerospace since its formation. The company previously expanded its UK casting footprint in August 2025 with the acquisition of Aeromet International, a supplier of aluminum and magnesium castings. More recently, in August 2026, Pursuit Aerospace acquired Leesta to integrate precision machining processes with its established forging and casting capabilities.

AirPro News analysis

The aerospace supply chain remains severely bottlenecked, particularly in specialized metallurgical processes like magnesium and aluminum sandcasting. By vertically integrating capabilities such as non-destructive testing and heat treatment, Pursuit Aerospace is positioning itself to capture market share from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers desperate for reliable component flow. The rapid pace of six acquisitions in under four years indicates strong private equity backing aimed at consolidating a fragmented lower-tier supply base to support major engine platforms.

ST Engineering officially opened a new S$170 million airframe maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) on October 9, 2026, integrating artificial intelligence, drones, and humanoid robotics to automate manual tasks.

The Changi Creek facility expands the company’s widebody airframe capacity in Singapore by 40 percent, allowing it to service an additional 100 widebody aircraft annually. Announced in a company press release, the site is expected to create more than 500 jobs, including positions for licensed aircraft engineers and mechanics, while targeting a 25 percent increase in overall productivity through advanced automation.

Integrating robotics and AI into heavy maintenance

The new facility serves as a testing ground for digitalizing aerospace maintenance, a sector traditionally reliant on intensive manual labor. The site incorporates automated parts transport systems designed to streamline logistics on the hangar floor.

According to Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, one such automated project will improve process time by over 80 percent. This system saves employees from walking more than 20,000 kilometers across the warehouse floor and frees up approximately 7,800 man-hours annually.

A humanoid robot is currently in the testing stages at the facility. Once fully operational, the robot will be integrated to retrieve, sort, and transfer items to autonomous mobile robots. ST Engineering plans to introduce this robotic system at its other facilities in Singapore following successful implementation at Changi Creek.

Kevin Chow, President of Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering, highlighted the operational goals driving the technological investment.

“As airline fleets expand and aircraft stay in service longer, airlines need assured capacity, dependable reliability and consistently high quality. Our latest airframe facility aims to meet these customer expectations.”

Chow noted that the technology-enabled operations reinforce Singapore’s position as a leading global aviation hub while supporting the development of advanced aerospace capabilities.

Expanding global widebody capacity

The 84,000-square-meter facility features four widebody aircraft bays. When fully operational, the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore projects the site will contribute an additional 1.3 million man-hours annually to the company’s network.

Japan Airlines (JL) serves as the anchor customer for the new site. The carrier is the first airline to induct its aircraft into the Changi Creek facility for servicing.

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ST Engineering’s post-pandemic growth strategy

The Changi Creek site is ST Engineering’s fourth airframe MRO facility in Singapore. The project was initially announced with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 23, 2023, as part of a broader strategy to capture surging post-pandemic maintenance demand.

The company’s Commercial Aerospace division operates as one of the world’s largest third-party airframe MRO service providers. It maintains a global network across the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, and Europe, boasting over 13 million man-hours of existing capacity prior to the Changi Creek opening.

The Asia-Pacific region is projected to lead global air traffic growth over the next decade, driving significant demand for regional MRO services. To meet this demand, ST Engineering has been actively expanding its global footprint. Recent capacity expansion initiatives include opening new hangars in Pensacola, Florida, and progressing a joint venture facility in Ezhou, China.

AirPro News analysis

The introduction of humanoid robotics and autonomous transport systems at the Changi Creek facility represents a critical pivot for the third-party MRO sector. As the global aviation industry grapples with a persistent shortage of licensed airframe mechanics, substituting manual logistics tasks with automation allows operators to allocate highly specialized human labor exclusively to technical maintenance. If ST Engineering successfully scales these robotic systems across its global network, it could establish a new baseline for turnaround times and cost efficiency in heavy airframe maintenance, forcing competing MRO providers to accelerate their own digitalization timelines.