Virgin Atlantic Engineering at Newquay

[magicmick]

I have heard a rumour from an RAF engineer that Virgin Atlantic are to set up a large maintenance facility at Newquay/ RAF St Mawgan, he had no proof and it was just a ‘crew room rumour’.

However I note that in the next week or so Virgin will be hosting civil aircraft engineering career presentations at RNAS Culdrose and RRC Plymouth, is this co-incidence or is there some substance in the rumour?

Many thanks for your thoughts.

[Fargoo]

I've also heard rumblings of the Virgin hangar at Heathrow going when BA demolish their cathedral hangar in a couple of years so who knows!

[smartin30]

To add to this roumer, I have just seen a Virgin Atlantic Airbus flight no. VIR817P fly over St Austell heading in to and landing at Newquay Airport.

[magicmick]

Many thanks for the sighting info. I recently asked one of the Virgin Engineering Academy instructors whether or not he had heard anything about an engineering base being set up at Newquay and he strongly denied all knowledge which is probably as good as getting a definite confirmation that it will happen.

[smartin30]

Agreed! :-)

The flight number I grabbed from the radar doesn't yield much online, another has just gone over, flight number VIR818P!

Just gone over again, different flight number this time VIR818P and I found it on the radar this time and grabbed an interesting shot of the routes it has been flying around Cornwall!

I'll upload them for you.

pic.twitter.com/34r4kGYg

pic.twitter.com/ZkzdustS

Screen grabs from radar, what a route!

[vs69]

Yes it would be quite logical to set up a facility not on the route network and incur the cost of ferry flights to said facility...

[Rigga]

I recon that'd be a reeelly good idea as the costs for skilled (licenced) and unskilled labour down there would be in the dozens of Groats per year - and that's per hangar!
Throw in a few sheep for the hangar rent and hey-hoe - A Maintenance Centre of Excellence!

[speedtapeking]

Vs69 - dont virgin send the 747s to Kim in Amsterdam for heavy maintenance? Is Amsterdam on the network? Seem to remember the a340s going to an airfield in France for heavy checks too... St Athens a lot nearer and maybe they want to bring heavy checks "in house"?

[vs69]

Jumbos go to Frankfurt, 340's to Manilla, correct they are not on the network but neither are they facilities where VS have incurred the cost of set up and running so the ferry flight cost is justifiable.This is a crewroom rumour with no substance, just think of the reality of the situation and why Newquay would be a viable option, I think you are more likely to see a fleet of Boris Bikes being serviced there than a Jumbo..

[virginpaul]

Spot on VS69 -

VS817/8P on 11 May was an air to air photo shoot ferry flight LHR-NQY(817P) NQY-NQY-LHR (818P) G-VRAY A330.