Monarch officially opens new maintenance facility at Birmingham Airport
AIRLINE Monarch has officially opened its new hanger facility at Birmingham Airport, in a move that has created 150 new jobs at the hub.
The hanger facility is being operated by Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd (MAEL), a subsidiary of the airline responsible for aircraft maintenance.
Former Advantage West Midlands chairman Sir Roy McNulty, also a non-executive director at Monarch, performed the opening ceremony.
The 110,000 sq ft hanger will complement the company’s existing engineering operations at London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester Airports. It also supports the continuing growth of MAEL’s aircraft engineering activities and could lead to the creation of a further 150 jobs.
The new facility can accommodate almost every aircraft type in its two bays, incorporates industry-leading design and build standards, and is one of the first to have the capacity for Boeing 787 Dreamliner maintenance, plus other wide body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777, 747 and Airbus A350.
It is large enough to accommodate two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft or 10 narrow-body aircraft and will contain a number of component-repair and back shops. The vast building covers around 2.5 acres and is big enough to house four full size football pitches, 2,400 Minis or 450 double decker buses.
In its first month of operation, seven different aircraft types are scheduled for maintenance, including Airbus A300, A320 and A321, Boeing 757 and 767, Embraer 195 and Bombardier Q400.
The Birmingham hangar will enable MAEL to service a greater share of the growing market for aircraft maintenance service in the UK and Europe. Its non-Monarch maintenance activities have grown to 31% of the business in 2013, up from 18% in 2010. Over the next two years this is planned to increase to almost 40% of turnover. This will consolidate MAEL’s position in the top 10 largest airframe MRO organisations in Europe.
Mick Adams, Managing Director of MAEL, said: “The hard work and dedication of the whole team involved in this project has been outstanding and has allowed us to ensure it has opened on time and most importantly, within budget.
“Our own people, the contractors John Sisk & Son Ltd, RPS Group and Birmingham Airport have all formed part of the large team involved in this project over the last year and I would like to thank them for their unending commitment.”
Iain Rawlinson, executive chairman of The Monarch Group, added: “We are very proud to be opening this innovative new facility, just one year after we announced its creation. It has been a huge achievement.
“This multi-million pound investment at Birmingham Airport, a key and growing part of The Monarch Group’s operation, clearly demonstrates our commitment to the region and is not only generating jobs, but will also attract more international and domestic customers, benefitting both the region and the UK economy as a whole.”
Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport said: ”Opening this facility in Birmingham underpins Monarch’s long-term commitment to the region, creating job opportunities for skilled engineers and young people looking to start a career in aircraft maintenance.
“We look forward to welcoming the arrival of new aircraft and airlines flying into Birmingham specifically to benefit from this world class facility.”
