NEWS
The future – a CGI of the proposed £ 25m Jet Centre at Teesside Airport .
AVIATION FIRM NAVIGATES £ 25M INVESTMENT
Teesside Airport has revealed it ’ s set for further investment , with a private firm committing to creating new facilities that could include £ 25m worth of investment .
Willis Lease Finance Corporation ( WLFC ) has started the planning process for a new aircraft maintenance facility , as well as a state-of-the-art Jet Centre , at Aviation Village , on the airport site .
WLFC has taken over the operations of the airport ’ s existing Jet Centre , now known as Jet Centre by Willis , and is planning to build maintenance hangars on 13 acres of land previously earmarked for 350 homes before the airport was brought back into public control .
The land also forms part of the Teesside Freeport , the UK ’ s largest and first operational freeport .
As part of the 2019 airport deal , this portion of land was bought for £ 5m , leading
Teesside International Airport has officially thrown open the doors to its new £ 2.5m state-of-the-art cargo handling facility .
The purpose-built 21,000 sq ft hangar provides cutting-edge security screening technology , as well as handling , freightforwarding , customs clearage and storage .
The facility can also be used for specialised charter flights for both air and road freight .
As part of the development , the airport now has secured Regulated Agent status from the Civil Aviation Authority , allowing it to handle secure cargo at its site .
The fully accredited facility is already creating jobs , recently appointing a head of cargo with 25 years of airport experience alongside security staff . When fully up and running , it is expected to create up to 30 good-quality jobs .
The investment comes as Teesside Airport turns its focus to its land and
to a 5:1 return on the investment for the project – which could also create 200 wellpaid jobs .
The airport ’ s Jet Centre by Willis provides a full range of ground handling services for business , private aviation , military , and cargo flights , with plans for further improvements as WLFC expands .
WASL ( Willis Aviation Services Ltd ) currently leases Hangar 2 at the airport as its base for aircraft maintenance , storage and disassembly .
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said : “ Our routes and summer holiday flights are hugely important to the success of our airport , but for any airport to really thrive it has to be about more than just holiday flights .
“ It ’ s multi-million-pound private sector investments that will truly secure our airport ’ s future – and this is potentially the largest we ’ ve seen in years .”
Airport ’ s new cargo handling facility open for business
Investment – a new £ 2.5m cargo handling facility has opened at Teesside Airport .
property assets , including its £ 200m Southside Business Park development , to diversify its revenue streams and further secure the airport ’ s financial future .
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said : “ With the right building blocks in place generating new opportunities , we can give people the flights they are crying out for while making sure the airport can stand on its own two feet for decades to come .”
BUSINESS BITES
STEEL DEAL British Steel has been given planning approval for a £ 26m upgrade to its Special Profiles business in east Cleveland .
The plans for a new service centre at Skinningrove , which includes cut-to-length lines , product milling , machining and warehousing operations , have been approved by Redcar and Cleveland Council .
£ 150K E-VANS A recycling firm invested more than £ 150,000 in electric vehicles over the last 12 months as its focus turns to the longterm sustainability of business operations .
Over the last 10 years , Hartlepool-based waste management specialist J & B Recycling says it has invested tens of millions of pounds in its operations to ensure the most efficient recycling processes .
The firm has invested in three electric forklift trucks , while J & B has also installed electric charge points for company electric cars .
AWARD WIN A Tees-based holiday lettings firm has beaten its global rivals to win an award for its management services .
Host & Stay , which is based in Saltburn , won the prize for best leisure property management company at the recent Short Term Rentalz Shortyz awards . It was one of only two UK-based companies in the category .
RETAIL TRAINING A retail park is calling for young people in Teesside to take their first step into a retail career by registering for its free training programme .
Teesside Park ’ s Bright Lights initiative , which is run in partnership with the MFC Foundation , aims to give people aged 18-24 a step into retail through high-quality training , advice from industry experts and support with interviews and CV writing .
AMERICAS CONTRACTS Leading industrial technology provider , Billingham-based Tracerco , which is part of Johnson Matthey Plc , will provide its Discovery technology over the coming months to two supermajors in a series of multimillion-pound contract wins in North America .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 13