Caerdav Mulls Plans For Permanent Line Maintenance At Cardiff Airport

Caerdav’s new line maintenance services at Cardiff Airport are now fully operational in support of launch customer Avion Express.

Opened in May, the line station conducts overnight daily and weekly maintenance checks for Lithuanian ACMI and charter operator Avion Express as part of Caerdav’s summer 2024 contract with leisure operator TUI, ensuring its aircraft remain operational throughout the season.

The current contract with Avion Express runs through this summer, but Caerdav is eyeing future longer-term line maintenance activity at Cardiff Airport (CWL). The MRO provider already has permanent approval and an established line maintenance office at the Welsh airport.

“We are ready and able to react to any last-minute line support requests and aircraft on the ground, no matter what time of year it is,” says Richard Pitts-Robinson, Caerdav’s commercial director.

Pitts-Robinson says Caerdav’s winter maintenance program looks extremely busy, so by only committing to the summer work at CWL, it can better utilize staff to ensure consistent levels of service delivery to its customers. “That said, the business is on a constant growth trajectory and the line maintenance station is part of that process,” he says. “We will be looking to leverage all of our aircraft type coverage to offer line services to as many operators as possible into the future.”

Caerdav plans to grow the specialist team working at CWL and build on the relationships it has with several airlines to expand on those activities throughout each subsequent summer.

Caerdav has six dedicated technicians at the new line station. All are rated to work on the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737s, 757s and 767s, but the initial service is on the A320s operated by Avion Express for TUI Airways.

Pitts-Robinson says higher supply chain costs will impact any line maintenance operation, but most of Caerdav’s activities outside the main hangar are relatively minor and well-scheduled, so consumption of required materials and spares is more accurately forecast for the entire season.

“Our heavy maintenance facility at St Athan is only 15 min. away and this means we can make good use of our own stock holding to ensure we have the ability to manage any unforeseen issues that might arise,” he says.

Interestingly, other MROs such as SR Technics have also recently opened new line maintenance operations elsewhere but as a separate Part 145 entity. Caerdav’s line station at CWL falls under the company’s Part 145 approval, mainly due to its proximity to the base maintenance hangars at St Athan.