Oriens Aviation acquires Avalon Aero at Biggin Hill

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Oriens Aviation acquires Avalon at Biggin Hill (credit Gary Stone Photography Limited)

Oriens Aviation has acquired Avalon Aero, the business aviation MRO facility at London Biggin Hill Airport (photo credit: Gary Stone Photography Limited).

The business will be formally renamed and inaugurated as Oriens Aviation Limited effective immediately, with a view to becoming the principal authorised PC-12 Service Centre in the UK by 29 January 2018. Oriens’ activity extends to an agreement with Goodwood Engineering, which will act as a satellite service centre.

As a result of the acquisition, Oriens is able to offer support for other aircraft types for all line and base maintenance activity. These include Cessna 421/550/551/560, Hawker Beechcraft BAE 125 Series 1000, and Piaggio P180 Avanti.

Avalon’s founder and chairman John Glancey had been seeking to exit the business aviation support arena after 17 years at Biggin Hill and concentrate activity at Cranfield Airport, where Avalon supports line and base maintenance for the BAe 146 family.

The deal between the owner of Avalon and the Oriens Aviation board, including the transfer of the existing Avalon Aero lease on its hangar, was ratified on 1 December 2017.

Ahead of the deal, Oriens appointed an additional member of its senior management team in October to work alongside the existing seven-strong team which Oriens is absorbing.

Newly-appointed director of engineering Dave Plumpton brings nearly 40 years’ aviation and customer support experience from the challenging airline and VIP aircraft environment. Steve Westran, from Avalon Aero, will work alongside him and continue to be responsible for the daily operations of the hangar and maintenance services.

Glancey said: “We are very pleased that the Avalon business at Biggin Hill is being passed to Oriens Aviation. The PC -12 and in the future, the Pilatus PC-24, newly EASA and US FAA certificated, are an excellent fit for the existing facility and we are particularly pleased that the core of loyal Avalon engineers have been trained on the PC-12 and will be stay on under the Oriens banner.”

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