Welsh Government
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Flying start for St Athan Aerospace Business Park
Hunter Flying has taken a ten year lease on two hangars on the Welsh Government’s Aerospace Business Park in St Athan which is within the preferred location for an enterprise park for the aerospace sector. It is the first commercial letting since the MoD’s decision in July last year to move the proposed Defence Technical College to RAF Lyneham.
Mrs Hart said the Welsh Government is keen to develop an Aerospace Business Park at St Athan to create jobs and utilise both the airfield and the skills base in the area.
“This letting supports those two aims and will not prejudice the future of the St Athan site. I am pleased we can support the expansion of Hunter Flying Ltd and welcome the arrival of a new company working in one of our key industry sectors.”
The two hangars provide a total of 50,888 sq ft. of accommodation. One hangar will be used for housing and maintaining the aircraft and the other will accommodate the large number of spares and equipment required to keep historic aircraft in an airworthy condition.
Hunter Flying Ltd – previously known as Classic Jets - has operated from Exeter for more than twenty years but a planned expansion project at the airport meant the company had to find new premises.
Hunter Flying restores and operates ex military aircraft for airshows, jet training for pilots and leisure flying. It currently oversees the maintenance and operation of what is the largest private collection in the world of Hawker Hunters, Jet Provost, Strikemaster, Yak 50 and 52
The company aims to create new employment for a number of aircraft engineers and office staff as it diversifies into other areas of maintenance. The company’s new base will be operational from February 1st when they will be recruiting avionics and airframe engineers.
It hopes to recruit staff being made redundant with the planned closure of the DSG facility at St Athan.
Many of the classic planes that Hunter Flying services and maintains date back to the 1950s and include the oldest airworthy Hawker Hunter WT723. It is presently working on a long term project to restore a Fairey Gannet AEW3 aircraft for which Prince Charles has agreed to be the acting Patron.
Hunter Flying’s chief engineer John Sparks said the St Athan was ideal for their plans,
”It ticks all the boxes and my wife Nadine and I are excited about the move but the logistics involved in relocating is proving a headache!.It will involve twenty eight articulated loads including moving three aircraft by road.
“We will be sorry to leave the volunteers and local businesses that have worked with us for such a long time in Exeter but I’m sure it will happen again at St Athan because no matter where you go there’s always someone who has worked or wants to work on historic aircraft.”
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