If an engineering set up becomes untenable - unable to provide a service through a lack of certified person power for instance - the 'Authorities' have no real option but to do something about it and quickly. In that instance there would be no need for an immediate tender process. It would therefore be a while before a tender was formulated, offered and let.
Through a lack of engineers, there were originally three maintaining one aircraft, one operation recent stopped maintaining its own aircraft.
The South Yorkshire Explorer was reported to have been roaded into Staverton last week to have its annual completed in time for the start of NPAS from April 3. The a/c will not be an NPAS resource so this is a SY decision.
If we assume that the South Yorkshire engineering set up is not going to be brought back [they never replaced the engineer that left last summer] what are the options?
To my knowledge only three UK based operations would care to bid for maintaining an Explorer. One is a police operated operation in Suffolk [and that was rejected when the work was needed in a hurry this time], the others are at Staverton and Leeds.