HAECO CEO Richard Sell Details Digital MRO Push and Xiang'an Hangar at 2026 China International Import Expo
Why It MattersHeavy-maintenance providers are competing on digitised planning, automated materials flow and domestic-aircraft capability, which suggests capacity in Chinese MRO will increasingly be sold on process technology rather than hangar floor space alone.
What happened
At the ninth China International Import Expo, HAECO showed a model of its new Xiamen Taikoo Xiang'an base hangar at the Swire Group stand. The hangar, due to open at Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, is described as the world's largest single-span aircraft maintenance hangar and is certified LEED Platinum. HAECO Chief Executive Officer Richard Sell said the exhibits show the company integrating advanced technology across the maintenance process, applying it where it improves efficiency, safety and quality.
Sell said HAECO is digitalising maintenance workflows at scale. The One Operation Platform, launched in Hong Kong, lets maintenance teams assign daily planned work, track progress and record labour hours digitally, moving hangar operations toward paperless working. The One Planning Platform digitalises maintenance planning, scheduling and manpower allocation for aircraft overhauls. The Customer Gateway platform gives customers worldwide real-time visibility of maintenance progress, and China Eastern Airlines is among its users. HAECO has also deployed more than 10 automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
For the Xiang'an base, Sell said robotic automation will handle warehouse management and round-the-clock delivery of materials to hangar bays. The One Operation and One Planning platforms will digitalise front-line maintenance, planning and scheduling, with AGVs automating materials handling. AI applications will be expanded, including engine borescope inspection and digital planning tools. Phase one will provide 12 widebody and 6 narrowbody bays, including 2 dedicated paint bays; phase two, planned by 2030, will add 4 widebody and 2 narrowbody bays.
On domestic aircraft, Sell said HAECO has a long-standing relationship with COMAC and is developing MRO capability for its aircraft types. In 2024 HAECO signed a memorandum of cooperation with COMAC subsidiary Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service Co., Ltd. covering airframe, engine and component services. HAECO has established base maintenance capability for the C909 and C919, along with C919 escape slide repair capability. In composites, it has repair capability for engine nacelles, flight control surfaces and radomes across multiple aircraft and engine platforms.
Industry impact & what to watch
Heavy maintenance is a business where hangar capacity is only part of what customers buy. Turnaround time depends on how well work is planned, how quickly parts reach the aircraft, and how clearly the operator can see progress. A provider that digitalises scheduling, labour tracking and materials delivery, and gives airline customers a live view of the work, is selling predictability as much as bays. HAECO's emphasis on this stack alongside new physical capacity reflects that logic.
The COMAC thread points to a second shift. As C909 and C919 fleets grow, airlines operating them need base maintenance, component repair and engine support in-region, and MRO providers that qualify early on a new type tend to hold an advantage in the work that follows. The memorandum of cooperation and the capabilities already established give HAECO a position in that field, though the commercial scale of the work has not been stated.
The nearest milestones are the opening of the Xiang'an hangar and the phase-two expansion planned by 2030. How quickly the automation and AI tools described for the site move from plan to routine use will show whether the digital model delivers the efficiency gains the exhibits promise.
