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British Airways announces multimillion-pound investment in Cardiff base

22 Nov 2024 2 minute read
Image: British Airways
British Airways has announced a multimillion-pound investment in its maintenance engineering facility at Cardiff Airport.
The airline said it will expand one of three existing maintenance bays at the site to facilitate its larger long-haul Airbus A350 aircraft.This will create a second fully flexible bay, allowing more complex work to be completed.

The base can currently only serve Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft.

Transformation

The expansion, which is part of BA’s £7 billion transformation, will begin next year and is expected to be completed by 2026.Some 480 people are employed by the carrier in the Welsh capital.

A British Airways Aircraft

BA chief technical officer Andy Best said: “Our Welsh engineering base is an integral part of our maintenance operation, and this investment, as part of our wider maintenance strategy, will ensure that British Airways Engineering Wales continues to play a key role for many years to come.

“The expanded facility provides us with greater flexibility and control over our heavy maintenance activity on both the Boeing and Airbus long-haul fleets, ensuring more efficient planning and execution.”

“Welcome news”

Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government’s Economy, Energy and Planning Secretary, said: “This is very welcome news from British Airways, paving the way for further growth at their Cardiff site and its highly skilled workforce.“This announcement once again demonstrates the vital role that Cardiff Airport plays in bringing investment into Wales and in growing our aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul sector, where we see continued international interest.”


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Welsh Patriot
Welsh Patriot
26 days ago

Excellent news, if only BA operated passengers services from CWL?

Rob
Rob
25 days ago
Reply to  Welsh Patriot

Most airlines operate a ‘hub and spoke’ model, making it easier for passengers to make connecting flights at the hub airport. For BA there hubs are Heathrow and Gatwick, so unless South Wales to London flights were to become commercially viable then it won’t be in BA’s interest to operate passenger flights out of CWL. It would be far better to attract European airlines that match their corresponding hub (ie Paris – Air France, Amsterdam – KLM, Frankfurt – Lufthansa etc etc), or establish a new airline at CWL that forms code-share agreements with European airlines. (BA won’t do this… Read more »

Bob
Bob
25 days ago
Reply to  Rob

KLM has been a solid supporter of CWL for many years. More national carriers like them from right across Europe is exactly what’s needed.

Johnny Gamble
Johnny Gamble
25 days ago
Reply to  Rob

Air France have tried a Cardiff route before from Orly operated under license by Logan Air.
Plus Swiss Air have previously operated from Cardiff to Zurich.
As is the usual case many services from Cardiff get withdrawn.
Qatar Airways have returned to all other UK airports except Cardiff.
You can’t go on blaming APD and Bristol Airport for everything.

Bob
Bob
25 days ago
Reply to  Johnny Gamble

Who wants Orly? It should’ve been a feeder into Air France long haul services from CDG.

Paul Essdee
Paul Essdee
25 days ago

.,.. might be worth adding that Cardiff Wales Airport is not actually in either the city nor county of Cardiff, but in the Vale of Glamorgan + that the majority (if not all) of the employees are not based in “the Welsh capital”.

BA scheduled flights would also be very welcome😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍

Bob
Bob
25 days ago
Reply to  Paul Essdee

It’s in the Cardiff Capital Region, as is half the Welsh population.

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