A Cheshire-based aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company is to establish a new facility at the Newquay Airport based enterprise zone, Aerohub, creating 30 jobs.
Apple Aviation will headquarter its aerospace maintenance facilities at the aerospace-focused enterprise zone. It plans to employ up to 30 highly skilled employees, including aircraft engineers, in the first three years of operation. The new facility will consist of a new 35,000 square foot hangar, capable of accommodating two narrow-body or one wide-body aircraft and offering a large, bespoke space for its growing operations.
The company, which currently operates at Manchester, East Midlands, London Heath-row, Paris and Brussels as well as airports in the Middle East and Asia, numbers clients including Thomas Cook, DHL, ILFC and American Airlines. It brings an ever growing concentration of aerospace companies to Aerohub.
Apple Aviation's commercial director Bernard Longman, said: "Newquay has been selected as the site for our new MRO facility due to the excellent infrastructure which the airport has to offer, plus the benefits of developing our new business venture within the Enterprise Zone.
"AA will provide the airport with a wide range of line and base maintenance capabilities which will benefit current and new airlines operating into and from Newquay."
The facility, which will include an Environment Agency-approved aircraft storage and recycling area, is due to open in September.
Enterprise zones attract investment, developments and jobs through a combination of business rate discounts, simplified planning procedures and superfast broadband links. Aerohub @ Newquay Cornwall Airport is being led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership and Cornwall Council, as the owners of the airport and surrounding land. They have co-commissioned Cornwall Development Company, the council's armslength development company, to deliver the enterprise zone project alongside Cornwall Airport Limited.
Chris Pomfret, chairman of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "AA is a major player in the aviation industry. Their presence underlines the commercial attractiveness of Aerohub in Cor nwall.
"They not only bring highly skilled jobs to the area but will also support growth in the local supply chain and act as a catalyst to attract other companies offering complimentary activity to the Enterprise Zone." Cornwall Council's interim chief executive, Paul Masters, said: "Apple Aviation is a world-class company with ambitious growth plans and a commitment to employing local workforce. They are a great fit for the Aerohub."
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