Bournemouth: Gama Aviation opens facility and celebrates £90m contract wins
AIM-listed Gama Aviation plc, the global business aviation services company, has formally opened its 135,000 sq ft facility at Bournemouth Airport.
Dr Scott McVicar, MD Europe Ground, said: “We originally moved to Bournemouth in August after discontinuing and closing our maintenance facilities in Farnborough and Oxford.
“Since the move we have won long-term contracts of more than £90 million, brought two commercial airlines to Bournemouth for maintenance and are building a strong corporate jet & turbo prop maintenance business.
“This is a good start, but we will increasingly ramp up our capabilities to meet the demands coming from civil aviation, business aviation, defence sectors, air ambulance and law enforcement.”
With the business aviation MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) market consolidating, Gama Aviation is primed to become one of the largest, global, independent maintenance networks.
McVicar said: “Our Bournemouth facility is fully integrated into a network that incorporates 14 US, six UK, two European, one Middle East, two Asian sites and four associated sites in Australia, providing coverage through Asia Pacific.
“The specialisms, experience and capability we have here make it a keystone location, to which the network is already driving heavy maintenance business, particularly from the Middle East.”
The importance of Bournemouth to Gama Aviation is further emphasised with the business holding its biannual global leadership conference at the facility.
The two-day event culminates in the formal opening of the hangar and, with more than 100 guests, a celebration of the start of its contract wins.
McVicar added: “We signed a 25-year lease and have committed ourselves to Bournemouth. We expect this to be a win-win for our business, the ecosystem surrounding the airport, the economies of the surrounding area and the £1.4 billion that advanced engineering and manufacturing adds to Dorset’s economy. This is evident in the addition of 54 FTE staff to our business in Bournemouth since September 2018 with a further 20 FTE positions to be added by the end of this year.”
Stephen Gill, managing director, Bournemouth Airport, part of Regional & City Airports, said: “Bournemouth Airport is a flagship aviation hub in southern England, as evidenced by the arrival of Gama Aviation, the global business aviation, AIM-listed company, and its long-term commitment here.
“The close flight proximity to mainland Europe and excellent infrastructure, along with skilled local labour, the popular coastline and nearby New Forest, is proving attractive to industry players and their employees.”
