Another press release . . .
An aircraft maintenance and repair business has established a new operation at Kent International Airport (KIA) at Manston, bringing job opportunities to Thanet.
AvMan Engineering maintains short to medium range jets such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and BAE Systems BAeS 146 and expects to have a 40-strong workforce by the end of the year. The business is operating from a hangar at Kent International.
Chris Wilson, Group Managing Director at AvMan, said the company would be taking on young local people as apprentices to support its growth.
He explained: “We intend to build steadily on our already successful business with a keen eye on a secure future based around a local workforce. We are in negotiations with one of the largest aviation training companies in the UK to establish a training school at our facility within six months.
“We are keen to introduce Airbus maintenance in about four to five years, once the workforce is established and at sufficient levels. This means our new employees would be able to start work very soon and by the time they complete their training and obtain the appropriate licenses could be working on one of the most popular types of aircraft in the industry.
“Apprentices will be the backbone of our company for the future. We also have very well qualified local engineers from large well-known carriers wanting to come to Manston because it is well located and gives great potential for progressing within an organisation where individual efforts will genuinely reap benefits.”
Matt Clarke, Chief Executive at Kent International Airport, said: “We’re delighted that AvMan has chosen to establish a base at Manston to join a number of other ancillary businesses operating at the airport. Their plans to recruit and train young local people will be a welcome boost for the area.”
AvMan’s division at Bournemouth Airport – AvMan Technical Services *– recently gained the prestigious European Aviation Safety Agency Part M approval covering continued airworthiness. The company is also partners in a soon-to-be-launched charter airline Island Air, based in Romania, which plans to introduce two MD-82 aircraft in the spring of 2010 to the European charter market. These aircraft will be maintained at KIA alongside its existing customer base.