Caerdav is set to open a third maintenance line at its St Athan base, alongside making substantial investments to enhance its in-house capabilities.
Following extensive remodelling of one of the company's two hangars to accommodate an additional Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, the new third line will increase Caerdav's maintenance capacity by 50%. Scheduled to officially open later this year, available slots are already filling up and the company is currently recruiting around 50 new technical staff to support the additional work.
Chris Coleman, Managing Director at Caerdav, says: “The opening of a third line is an important milestone in the evolution of the business and is the latest stage of a structured growth strategy we've been implementing over the past few years. “With the likes of Ryanair now returning to us year on year, we wanted to increase capacity to facilitate the additional aircraft that work entails. It's a chance for us to showcase our ambition to become a leading independent MRO in the global market.”
In addition to the third line, Caerdav has made significant investments in its back shop capabilities and workshop space, supporting a wider range of maintenance activities that can now be carried out on-site.
The newly expanded scope of maintenance capabilities allows Caerdav to perform most associated checks in-house, improving efficiencies and decreasing turnaround times for customer aircraft.
“To support the third line, improved back shop facilities and additional maintenance capabilities, we operate an enhanced seven-day shift structure, meaning the business is now operational seven days a week – it's a hugely exciting time for the company,” adds Coleman.
As part of its continued evolution, Caerdav launched a dedicated line maintenance station at Cardiff Airport in May. The business now employs around 180 people, from the hangar floor to its senior leadership team, with plans to recruit up to 50 more staff by the end of the year. The company is also supporting 24 apprentice Aerospace Engineers, with a new intake due in September.
