Airline operations expand in Northern Ireland

Belfast International Airport continues to grow its relationship with low cost airline giant EasyJet.

The airport announced the addition of three new destinations for Summer 2018, including Naples, Valencia and a very short flight to the Isle of Man.The additional destinations will increase the total number of routes easyJet fly from Belfast International Airport to 31.

With this expansion, a sixth Airbus aircraft is expected to be based at the airport (3x A319 and 3x A320). According to reports the new aircraft will arrive at the base on the June 22nd, 2018. As companies like easyJet grow and increase operations at regional airports, so does the logistical task of aircraft line and base maintenance.

Aviation building specialist Andrew Knox, from Rubb Buildings Ltd, said: “In order to support the local economy and create even more capacity and choice for local consumers, airlines are increasingly looking for climate controlled, affordable and cost-effective MRO environments for their fleets. We find many aviation professionals and Head of Maintenance personnel are saying this is key to their aircraft running effectively and efficiently.”

A traditional hangar to accommodate a wide body aircraft could cost in excess of £7million. Once constructed this hangar is then stationary for its lifetime. There is now an increasing demand for more affordable, state-of-the-art, fabric hangar facilities, which provide the ideal environment for MRO activities.

Andrew adds: “When investing this amount of money, clients are looking for the best life-time value from their hangar assets. A more affordable, adaptable, alternative solution to this would be a Rubb MRO hangar.”

EasyJet is currently the largest airline operating in Northern Ireland. The company has been reaping the rewards of investing in a Rubb facility at Gatwick Airport, which was constructed in 2016.

With growth and change in the industry, companies are more regularly relocating within an airport or expanding and locating to other airports. RUBB Fabric aircraft hangars offer an #AlternativeSolution to traditional bricks and mortar – a flexible solution which can be adapted quickly to suit changing operations, locations and logistical needs.