SF Airlines and ST Engineering Launch New Aircraft Maintenance Base in Ezhou

On the afternoon of August 11, 2025, the H1 Hangar of Hubei Shunke Aircraft Maintenance Co., Ltd. was launched in Ezhou, Hubei, marking the official opening of the aircraft maintenance base jointly built by SF Airlines and ST Engineering’s Commercial Aerospace business. This is the first maintenance base at Ezhou Huahu International Airport and the first such facility invested in and constructed by SF Airlines since its establishment. It represents a significant milestone in SF Airlines’ efforts to enhance its maintenance capabilities, deepen its presence in the aviation industry chain, and support the sector’s development.

Following the launch of the H1 Hangar, SF Airlines will become its first global customer, commencing a C-check on a B767-300F on August 12. While the first hangar begins stable operations, a second hangar is accelerating construction and is expected to be completed and operational in the second half of 2027. Once finished, the two hangars will simultaneously accommodate four wide-body or eight narrow-body aircraft. In response to growing market demand, plans are underway to expand the maintenance base to six hangars, providing high-quality aircraft maintenance services to global customers, including SF Airlines.

Located at Ezhou Huahu International Airport, Asia’s first dedicated cargo hub airport, the maintenance base is invested in and built by SF Airlines, China’s largest cargo airline by fleet size. Designed to meet the line maintenance and heavy maintenance needs of both cargo and passenger aircraft, the base strengthens SF Airlines’ key role in the aviation industry chain and enhances its self-maintenance capabilities. As both a user and operator, SF Airlines will leverage ST Engineering’s globally leading maintenance expertise and Ezhou Huahu International Airport’s growing air transport services. This will not only improve the airline’s own maintenance and airworthiness management, ensuring a healthy and efficient fleet, but also integrate high-quality resources to support the base’s steady development, enabling deeper industrial integration and promoting industrial upgrading and economic growth.

Jeffrey Lam, President Commercial Aerospace at ST Engineering, said, “With China continuing to lead global aviation growth, Ezhou’s emergence as a logistics and aviation hub makes it a strategic location from which to serve freight and airline operators. Our new facility in Ezhou will tap into this strategic positioning to meet the rising MRO needs of operators in China and across the region.”

Li Sheng, Chairman of SF Airlines, said: “The global aviation market continues to recover, driving strong demand for aircraft maintenance services. As Hubei province' s aviation industry cluster rapidly takes shape, the establishment of the Airframe MRO Facility in Ezhou, Hubei presents broad development prospects. With strong support from all sectors, the new facility will fully leverage industrial chain synergies to build a competitive maintenance brand. It will consistently provide professional, efficient, and reliable MRO services to customers while contributing to the high-quality development of the aviation industry.”

The maintenance base has already recruited approximately 200 professionals. Once both hangars are fully operational, it will create around 700 high-value jobs. In addition to training technical talent, the base will introduce smart technologies such as robotics and digital systems to enhance operational efficiency and quality across multiple dimensions.

Over the years, SF Airlines has actively pursued innovation to enhance its self-maintenance capabilities. In 2014, it independently completed its first C-check on a B757 aircraft. In 2024, it achieved its first independent engine blade repair and obtained a Modification Design Approval (MDA) from the CAAC for its self-developed B737 keel beam repair solution. Following a path from foundational qualifications to core breakthroughs and industrial chain integration, SF Airlines has progressed from single-aircraft C-checks to independent main structure repairs over the past decade. With the launch of the new maintenance base, SF Airlines is now embarking on a new journey toward industrialized maintenance development.