The carrier seeks to establish a new engineering subsidiary at the hangar and onboard its former Boeing workers.
A British Airways Boeing 777 at London Heathrow. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
British Airways has announced it will purchase the Boeing maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) hangar at London Gatwick Airport.
The carrier stated in a Monday news release that the move will secure jobs at the site and expand British Airways’ presence at the airport.
“It will ultimately benefit BA customers by bringing additional skills, expertise and facilities into the business which will help to support the BA operation,” British Airways stated in the release.
Under the transaction agreement, British Airways will create a new wholly-owned subsidiary called British Airways Engineering Gatwick (BAEG), which will join the carrier’s current engineering operations in South Wales and Glasgow.
Boeing’s employees who work at the facility will be transferred to the new subsidiary in the second quarter of 2025 – subject to an “employee information and consultation process.”
British Airways stated the investment is in line with the carrier’s strategy to expand its engineering operations. Taking over the Boeing facility will enable the carrier to continue carrying out minor maintenance on Boeing 777 aircraft at the airport.
This increased capacity will also allow the airline to in-source some scheduled heavy maintenance work on its Airbus A320/A321 fleet.
“Longer-term, it’s expected the carrier will recruit additional colleagues and grow this new facility at Gatwick,” the release stated. “British Airways’ existing engineering operation at Gatwick is a vital part of the airline’s family, and its role and capability as a key engineering hub or ‘line station’ in the airline’s network will be enhanced with the hangar now under British Airways ownership.”
Andy Best, British Airways’ chief technical officer, said the purchase will help the carrier “be the very best in the business” by bringing the expertise of former Boeing workers and adding a large MRO hangar to BA’s portfolio of engineering facilities.
Receive a daily dose of the airline industry's top stories along with market insights right in your inbox.
Greenland has been in the news a lot in the past few months, and with the opening of the new…
JetBlue continues to sound the alarm over ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan engines. The airline expects aircraft…
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a new airworthiness directive for certain Boeing 747-400, 747-400F, 747-8F, and 747-8i aircraft. The…
