Dublin Aerospace Group Launch Exeter Aerospace
Dublin Aerospace Group, the aviation maintenance company based in Ireland, announced that it has established Exeter Aerospace in the location of the former Flybe Maintenance Services at Exeter Airport. Exeter Aerospace is immediately looking to hire 100 aircraft mechanics, engineers and aviation professionals at their new facility
Commenting on the launch, Conor McCarthy, Chairman & CEO of Dublin Aerospace Group said “We are thrilled to have made Exeter the home of our first UK MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) Centre. The availability of the Hangars and Workshops there, combined with a phenomenal pool of local aviation and engineering talent, makes this a hugely attractive location for us”.
Dublin Aerospace operates a hugely successful Aircraft Overhaul facility in Dublin which specialises in Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and A330 families. Exeter Aerospace plans to complement this product range by specialising in the Embraer 170/190 Regional Jets, Bombardier Dash 8/Q400, and ATR 72 Turboprop families in Exeter. The Group also has major activities in Landing Gear and APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) Overhaul.
“Already, we have acquired all of the tooling and equipment we require for these aircraft types and have taken possession of the modern and purpose-built Exeter Hangars and Workshops. We are now in the process of applying for UK CAA and EASA approvals for Exeter Aerospace and have already commenced hiring our initial group of aerospace engineers and technicians”, said McCarthy.
The Exeter Aerospace Employment Model is unique and includes flexible ‘annualised hours’ working to match the high degree of seasonality in Aircraft Overhaul. ‘We shall also be applying our unique Profit Sharing approach for our team which pays out 10% of profits to team members every quarter. This enables all the team to benefit from their hard work and flexibility.”
In time Exeter Aerospace plans six Aircraft Overhaul Bays in addition to a range of support shops and test facilities. Exeter Aerospace seeks to hire for 100 vacant positions immediately, with this number to grow in line with the business as airlines and aircraft return to the skies over the coming months and years. Over the next three-four years, the overall aim is to have over 250 aviation professionals working at Exeter Aerospace. In addition, the business plans to establish strong Aircraft Engineering Apprenticeship and Aircraft Mechanic Traineeship programmes in partnership with the UK Government and Exeter College, following in the footsteps of sister company, Dublin Aerospace, who recently announced that they will be hiring an additional 29 apprentices from next month.
“Dublin Aerospace Group has always been a huge supporter of Apprenticeships and Traineeships. While 2020 has been unprecedented in many ways, we believe that it is vital to keep our focus on the longer term. Our intention is to continue the great work that has been done locally to develop young talent for aerospace and thereby continue the proud aviation tradition here in the South of England” concluded McCarthy, a former Aer Lingus apprentice himself.
Exeter Aerospace has entered into an agreement with Regional & City Airports (RCA) Limited, owners of Exeter Airport, regarding the long term lease of the Hangars and workshops at Exeter Airport. “We are delighted to welcome Exeter Aerospace. This recognises and reactivates some of our specialised local skills and facilities and we look forward to working with them and supporting their exciting plans for growth” said RCAs CEO, Andrew Bell
Air Malta Sign A320 C-Check Agreement with Dublin Aerospace
In other news, Air Malta has signed a base maintenance agreement with Dublin Aerospace. The agreement includes C Checks for A320 aircraft to be conducted in the first quarter of 2021. Air Malta has been a previous customer of Dublin Aerospace and reflects the growing relationship between these two European islands.
Kevin Wall, Chief Commercial Officer at Dublin Aerospace, stated: “It is an absolute pleasure to work with Malta’s prestigious flag carrier and we are delighted with Air Malta’s decision to return to Dublin Aerospace for these scheduled base maintenance checks.”
Mr Wall went on to say, “It is a credit to our dedicated, front-line staff in our facility that Air Malta has put their faith in Dublin Aerospace once again and trust our ability and experience with A320 aircraft to perform these checks and turn their aircraft around on time and on budget.”
Air Malta operates a fleet of ten Airbus A320 family aircraft. It is composed of 1 x A319-112, 6 x A320-214 and 3 x A320-251N aircraft. Air Malta has connections to 35 major cities across Europe and the Mediterranean.
About the Author
Mark Dwyer Mark is an airline pilot flying the Boeing 737 for a major European airline. In addition he is also a Type Rating Instructor, Type Rating Examiner and Base Training Captain on the B737. Outside of commercial flying Mark enjoys flying light aircraft from the smallest 3 Axis microlights up to heavier singles. He is also an instructor and EASA Examiner on single engines and a UK CAA Examiner. He flies the Chipmunk for the Irish Historic Flight Foundation (IHFF). Mark became the Chairman of the National Microlight Association of Ireland (NMAI) in 2013 and has overseen a massive growth in the organisation. In this role he has worked at local and national levels. In 2015, Mark won ‘Upcoming Aviation Professional Award’ at the Aviation Industry Awards sponsored by the IAA. Mark launched this website back in 2002 while always managing the website, he has also been Editor and Deputy Editor of FlyingInIreland Magazine from 2005 to 2015.
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