Satair Makes Strategic Investment to Boost UK Operations
Satair’s UK operation opens of a brand new facility close to London’s Heathrow Airport, benefitting from a multi-million pound investment program. The new facility, at Space Waye, North Feltham Trading Estate, became fully operational on March 19 and has six times the area and 11 times the cubic capacity of the previous Heston, Middlesex, facility which Satair occupied for almost 30 years.
Currently Satair services some 7,500 aircraft batteries a year, making it one of the world’s largest commercial aircraft battery servicing operations, with a top-ranking reputation for quick lead times, quality, safety and the market confidence that comes from a strong heritage and pedigree of over 50 years.
Some 180 customers, ranging from international scheduled airlines, charter carriers, large low-cost airlines and regional airlines to MRO companies, helicopter owners, business jets and private aircraft owners have their batteries serviced by Satair UK.
The business is also one of the world’s largest aviation battery distributors, representing the top five battery manufacturers: ACME, Concorde, Hawker Enersys, Marathon Norco Aerospace and Saft.
The increased warehousing and workshop space at Space Waye gives opportunities for expanded capabilities according to Jon Ravenhall, managing director of Satair UK and head of Operations Repair Europe (UK). “It is also our intention to widen the scope of our offering to the market. Being a key part of the Operations Repair Group within Satair, we plan to offer electrically-based product repairs, particularly for Airbus proprietary parts. We are working very closely with our Satair and Airbus colleagues in determining a wide range of stocked parts, all of which have significant UK demand, and we have a development plan for this year and 2019 for both warehousing and repairs,” Ravenhall says.
All of the 14 staff previously employed at Heston made significant contributions to the design, layout and functionality of the new facility and all have moved to Space Waye. An additional five new employees have been recruited both for warehousing and repair operations, and the business has started a battery technician apprenticeship scheme through the Way2Work initiative with the first apprentice now engaged.
The Space Waye facility also has expanded office space and, being so close to Heathrow, can be used as a convenient meeting location for Airbus, Satair, customers and suppliers.