Construction work has begun at Norwich Airport as part of a £7 million plan to introduce an aircraft maintenance hangar and workshop.
Due for completion by August 2020, the facilities are set to increase the airport's contribution to development in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) aviation sector.
The hub will provide KLM UK Engineering, which employs 390 staff at the airport, with additional capacity to provide high-quality aircraft maintenance and repair services to customers worldwide.
Norwich Airport is owned and operated by Regional & City Airports (RCA) and this a part of the group's vision to help smaller regional airports prosper through effective management and collaboration, enabling them to benefit from economies of scale and sharing of best practice traditionally enjoyed by larger hub airports.
Norwich Airport managing director Richard Pace said: “KLM UK Engineering is a major employer locally, with hundreds of skilled staff, and the new hangar and workshop facilities will be a superb and much-needed asset.
“Our economic input is already a proud one here at Norwich Airport we have 274 staff and support, directly and indirectly, 1,240 jobs, with approximately £70 million contributed to the local economy.”
Headquartered at Norwich, where it has operated for 40-plus years, KLM UK Engineering currently has five fully-equipped heavy maintenance bays across three hangars at the airport.