Bombardier has officially opened its expanded London Biggin Hill Service Centre, the latest addition to the company’s extensive and growing worldwide customer service network.
Located at London Biggin Hill Airport, the newly enhanced London Biggin Hill Service Centre has grown to nearly 250,000 square feet (approximately 23,225 square metres), adding a suite of new maintenance and modification capabilities and full-service interior finishing capacity for its family of Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft.
“This is our world class facility,” said Paul Thompson, general manager, London Service Centre. “It’s one of the largest dual cantilever in the UK. It’s got a full open bay, no stanchions and the doors can fully open. There’s a five tonne crane in the facility that has less than a five millimetre deflection from one end to the other. This allows us to do is have full flexibility.”
With its new service capabilities and additional hangar space, Bombardier’s service centre is the largest business jet MRO facility in the UK.
Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill Service Centre is the largest tenant at the London Biggin Hill Airport, providing customers with complete heavy maintenance capabilities, wheel and battery shops, a component paint shop and much more.
“What’s unique about the facility is all of our services are in the middle bays,” said Thompson. “The ground floor has all the operations team. We’ve introduced a wheel shop, we are getting into engine storage, a sheet metal shop, and then we’ll do limited composites. We also have a battery bay, as well. So we can do all types of batteries here.
“The Ops team is downstairs because we realized we needed to bring the support to the engineers so that the entire team that needs to support the build of the aircraft is actually on the shop floor so the engineers can walk in and walk out.”
The new hangar has transformed from eight to 22 service bays, increasing on-site capacity to accommodate a wide array of aircraft, including up to 14 Global 7500 aircraft at one time – as well as Bombardier’s newly launched Global 8000 business jet when it enters into service in 2025.
“With the expansion of the London Biggin Hill Service Centre, we are taking another step in showcasing our unwavering commitment to our European customers with industry-leading services on a global scale – OEM expertise that customers demand and expect from Bombardier,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, executive vice president, services and support, and corporate strategy. “The European market is a very important one for Bombardier and this expansion perfectly underscores our ongoing commitment to the region, allowing us to be closer to our customers and offering them even more world-class services and support.”
Originally opened in 2017 the expansion to London Biggin Hill Service Centre will bring the facility’s workforce to more than 250 employees, with the expectation to grow this number given increasing demand for support.
And as one of the busiest business aviation airports in the UK in terms of aircraft movements, London Biggin Hill Airport is home to more than 70 aerospace companies and boasts more than 1,300 jobs. Over the past number of years, Bombardier has developed a successful collaboration with the airport, which has helped boost local employment and increase supply chain activities.
“London Biggin Hill Airport is in a strategic location for business aviation operators – and we are thrilled that Bombardier is committed to its long-term relationship here,” said Robert Walters, commercial director of Biggin Hill Airport. “Bombardier has been a tremendous collaborator and we will continue to work closely together as a leading center for aviation technology and innovation and as a catalyst for business aviation growth in the region.”
Bombardier’s focus on an environmentally respectful approach to its design and project development is also an essential part of the newly transformed service facility. Key projects include the installation of solar panels and electrical charging stations on site, building on Bombardier’s commitment to reduce its environmental footprint.
