British Airways To Add A350 Maintenance Line In Cardiff

British Airways plans to upgrade its Cardiff engineering operation by expanding an existing maintenance bay to accommodate Airbus A350 aircraft.

The flag carrier made the announcement on Nov. 22, saying it will be a “multi-million-pound” investment into its heavy maintenance lines. British Airways plans to expand one of three existing maintenance bays at the site close to Cardiff International Airport, taking it from one to two fully flexible maintenance bays. The A350 services add to existing capabilities in the Welsh capital for Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft types.

The airline says this will allow it to undertake more complex and detailed maintenance work on its A350 fleet. Currently, British Airways flies 18 A350-1000s and is the largest operator of the aircraft type in Europe.

British Airways plans to start construction next year with completion expected sometime in 2026.

“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,” says Andy Best, chief technical officer at British Airways. “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.”

The expansion of Cardiff’s maintenance bays is part of a company-wide £7 billion ($8.7 billion) transformation program outlined by the airline earlier this year. Some of the outlined initiatives include upgrading the customer experience, modernizing its IT functions, investing in technologies such as machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence, a greater focus on sustainability and targeting better on-time performance.

The move could also pave the way for further workforce additions in Cardiff, where British Airways currently employs around 480 people at its operations in Wales.

In addition to Cardiff, British Airways’ MRO network is comprised of base and heavy maintenance facilities at London Heathrow Airport and Scotland's Glasgow Prestwick Airport. In total, it runs more than 100 line stations worldwide.