British Airways (BA/BAW) has announced a multi-million pound investment into British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC) that will see it carry out maintenance on the airlines long-haul Airbus A350.
Until now BAMC has been exclusively used for British Airways Boeing fleet but following the retirement of the 747, the facility now only works on the 777 and 787 aircraft.
The changes needed for the A350 include extending one of the bays to accommodate the length of the Airbus.
Work is due to begin on the conversion in 2025 and will help the airline to increases its efficiency for maintenance across the fleet.
Andy Best, Chief Technical Officer at British Airways, 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.”
BAMC has operated at Cardiff Airport for 30 years and its 3 bay hangar has seen almost all Boeing aircraft operated by British Airways.