SYNOPSIS
Boeing and Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group finalized the largest landing gear exchange contract in the manufacturer’s history at the 2026 Singapore Airshow. The agreement covers over 75 aircraft across the SIA and Scoot fleets, specifically targeting 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX platforms. This deal signals a strategic pivot toward OEM-managed inventory solutions to mitigate supply chain volatility.
Boeing confirmed the record-breaking agreement at the Changi Exhibition Centre earlier this week. The contract obligates Boeing Global Services to provide fully overhauled landing gear suites for Singapore Airlines’ 787 widebodies and Scoot’s 737 MAX narrowbodies. Executives confirmed the deal encompasses more than 75 individual aircraft. This arrangement eliminates the carrier’s need to maintain expensive, capital-intensive spare gear inventories in Singapore.
William Ampofo, Senior Vice President of Parts & Distribution for Boeing Global Services, orchestrated the signing. He emphasized that the deal integrates Boeing’s global inventory directly with SIA’s heavy maintenance planning. The exchange program guarantees that certified, flight-ready landing gear shipsets arrive at maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities exactly when needed. This precise timing reduces aircraft-on-ground (AOG) intervals significantly.
SIA Group executives noted the operational necessity of the deal. With global supply chains still recovering from mid-decade disruptions, securing guaranteed access to critical rotables is paramount. The contract leverages Boeing’s “managed inventory” model, allowing the airline to swap worn gears for overhauled units instantly. The stock market reacted favorably, with Boeing (BA) shares ticking up to $236.61 following the announcement.
The mechanics of this deal reveal a deeper industry trend: the shift from asset ownership to “availability-as-a-service.” A single Boeing 787 landing gear shipset, comprising two main struts with four-wheel bogies and a nose strut, can cost upwards of $7 million. By opting for an exchange model, SIA avoids tying up over $500 million in static capital. They instead pay for the utility of the gear during its operational cycle.
Technical specifications drive this necessity. The 787’s landing gear utilizes advanced titanium and ultra-high-strength steel alloys requiring specialized overhaul procedures. Few third-party MROs possess the requisite tooling and metallurgy capabilities to certify these components quickly. Boeing’s proprietary exchange pool ensures SIA receives gears adhering to the latest engineering change orders (ECOs) without the typical 6-to-12-week overhaul lead time.
This move also hedges against the delayed 777-9 entry-into-service. With the 777X program facing continued timeline pressure, SIA must maximize the utilization of its existing 787 and 737 MAX fleets. Reliability becomes the primary metric. Simultaneously, SIA hedged its 777-300ER risk by signing a separate FlightSense deal with RTX Corp (Collins Aerospace). That parallel agreement covers aftermarket support for the older widebodies, ensuring the entire fleet remains viable while awaiting next-generation deliveries.
THE OUTLOOK
This contract cements Boeing Global Services as a dominant revenue engine for the aerospace giant. Analysts expect similar “power-by-the-hour” component deals to proliferate among major carriers in the Asia-Pacific region. Airlines will increasingly divest themselves of heavy inventory to maintain liquidity. For Singapore Airlines, the deal secures operational stability through the remainder of the decade.
The agreement also places immense pressure on Boeing’s aftermarket supply chain. Fulfilling the exchange requirements for a 75-plus aircraft fleet demands flawless execution in logistics and component repair cycles. Failure to deliver a shipset on time would incur significant penalties and damage the OEM’s recovering reputation. Success, however, establishes a new template for fleet sustainment in the post-2025 aviation market.
Anshum Raj