Job cuts at historic Vulcan bomber aviation charity
A charity dedicated to the preservation of an historic Vulcan aircraft is making 14 staff redundant as funding challenges hit.
The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, based at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, is having to move the historic Vulcan XH558 out of its current hangar when its lease expires, but before a purpose-built hangar is ready for the aircraft.
The trust said it plans to have a visitors’ centre built at the airport by the end of 2017.
The trust is aiming to cut costs by 75%, but is having to cut staff from 22 to eight full-time workers, supported by volunteers and part-time staff.
Over the past six months we have been working with the airport on our plans to progress a superb, purpose-built hangar for XH558. While both parties are confident of a successful outcome, the short term challenge is that we must vacate Hangar 3 as our lease has expired,” said Dr. Robert Pleming, chief executive of Vulcan to the Sky Trust, the charity that owns and operates Vulcan XH558. “This creates a funding challenge because the revenue-earning businesses that are vital for her care must be temporarily suspended. We have had to make some very tough decisions.”
“I am very sad to lose many highly talented colleagues who have worked incredibly hard to achieve a remarkable eight years of display flying that many thought would be impossible. I cannot thank them enough,” Pleming told staff and supporters. “This is a bitter decision, but one that is necessary to ensure Vulcan XH558 continues to be protected while we rebuild the Trust around our goals for the future.”
Relocating the Vulcan and the charity’s other aircraft the Canberra WK163 as well as displays and other historical assets will cost the charity £200,000 more than it can afford, it said. Half of this has been promised as matched funding by philanthropists.
Vulcan bombers were used during the Cold War from the 1960s as nuclear deterrents, before they were retired from the Royal Air Force in 1993.
The trust’s XH558 bomber was the last airworthy example in the world. However it was grounded in 2015 after engineering backers, including Rolls Royce, withdrew support.
