Per FlightGlobal....
EBACE: Ocean Sky snaps up Monarch’s engineering hangar at Luton
By Kate Sarsfield
Ocean Sky (stand 1449) has signed a multi-million pound deal to buy one of Monarch Aircraft Engineering's two hangars at London Luton airport. The acquisition is part of a wider strategy by the UK-based company to expand its offering at the airport - where it began operations around a year ago - and position itself as one of the top three business aviation services providers in Europe.
The 4,275m2 (46,000ft2) hangar gives Ocean Sky highly sought after space at Luton - doubling its apron area to 11,615m2 and giving it stand capacity for up to 20 aircraft.
The ex-Monarch-owned building also allows Ocean Sky to operate a second full engineering facility for Bombardier business aircraft on top of the one at its Manchester Jet Centre in the north of England. The company is also keen to extend this offering to other airframers - notably Dassault - at a later date.
The former Monarch hangar has a door height of 14m and can hold up to two Boeing 757s. "Other configurations would allow up to two Bombardier Global Expresses, two Challengers, one Gulfstream, a Dassault Falcon and two Cessna Citation business jets. There is also space for up to 10 offices," says Ocean Sky.
"This is an excellent acquisition for us, a rare opportunity at this UK airport and we were determined to seize it, particularly because it dramatically increases our engineering and parking capability," says Ocean Sky group chief executive Steve Grimes.
There will also be a full interiors facility at Luton, matching the one available at Manchester.
"Luton is the busiest general aviation airport in the UK and Ocean Sky has seen up to 150% increases in traffic month on month at the Luton fixed-base operation since services began," Grimes adds.
Ocean Sky recently announced a £10 million ($15.3 million) cash injection from shareholders to fund growth across Europe. As part of its expansion, the company intends to increase its managed aircraft from 30 to more than 40 by the end of the year.
"There is much more to come for us this year," says Grimes. "I am very clear in my mind that the future for Ocean Sky is in being able to provide consistently high service in jet centres across the world.
In addition to expanding its service facilities, Ocean Sky says it is also looking towards the Middle East for the first time.