British Airways will expand its base at Cardiff Airport (CWL) as part of its £7 billion ($8.7 billion) transformation project. The investment in engineering maintenance facilities at Cardiff will help increase the airline's efficiency across maintenance operations.
This expansion project will start in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2026, according to the airline. Expanding maintenance bays The planned investment will enhance one of the three existing maintenance bays at British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC), making it capable of accommodating larger Airbus A350 widebody aircraft. It is worth noting that the British national carrier operates a total of 18 Airbus A350-1000 widebodies, according to ch-aviation data.
Currently, the base can only serve Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft types. Commenting on the expansion project, Andy Best, Chief Technical Officer at British Airways, said: "Our Welsh engineering base is an integral part of our maintenance operation, and this investment, as part of our wider maintenance strategy, will ensure that British Airways Engineering Wales continues to play a key role for many years to come. The expanded facility provides us with greater flexibility and control over our Heavy Maintenance activity on both the Boeing and Airbus long-haul fleets, ensuring more efficient planning and execution.
" Currently, the Cardiff base employs 480 staff members. With the base's expansion, the number of British Airways employees work.