British Airways Engineering
Encyclopedia
British Airways Engineering is the aircraft
maintenance subsidiary of British Airways
which provides support services to British Airways and other airlines. It is responsible for the entire BA Boeing 747 fleet maintenance, cabin interior conversions and general ramp maintenance work for both their own fleet and other airlines. It also sends some of its own heavy maintenance work out to other companies, although the vast majority of aircraft and cabin interior work is still carried out by BA Engineering itself.
British Airways Engineering was formed from the merger of the engineering divisions of BOAC
and BEA
's when the two airlines merged in 1974 to form British Airways. Today, British Airways Engineering has hangars at Heathrow
(its base), Gatwick
, Glasgow
and Cardiff International
airports as well as hundreds of line maintenance stations (engineers based around the world to do minor 'line' maintenance such as routine daily inspections or minor repairs). A team of about 30 engineers are still based at MAN earning revenue from a large number of third party airlines. It also consists of the Avionic division which is based at Pontyclun
, South Wales
, which services the majority of the removable avionic units, and some mechanical components.
There are now 3 main maintenance hangars at Heathrow, these being (TB standing for technical block) TBJ, TBK and TBA along with a huge maintenance hangar called TBE and engineering's main office building called TBC.
TBJ & TBK (4 bays combined together): All of BA's 747 fleet 'light' maintenance is done here. The hangars are complete with component and engine maintenance facilities, workshops and a small interior 'patching up' line (to do minor maintenance on seats). Outside the hangar there is a parking area for the up to 8 planes and an engine test pit.
TBA (8 bay hangar): Airbus A319, A320, A321, 757 and 767 'light' maintenance along with almost all 757 and 767 fleet 'heavy' maintenance is done here.
TBE: The minor or 'casualty' hangar, is where most minor work is done, engine and leg changes for example and any work that can be done in the short period of time an aircraft has on the ground. The section covers all the airline's Airbus fleet along with the Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. Engineers based here support the line maintenance and major maintenance areas as required and the section is now known as the FSU (Fleet Support Unit).
TBC: Engineering's main offices and some training facilities are located here, and is where most support engineers and senior managers are based. Planning, development, finance and technical support sections are all based on the 9th floor. The ground floor houses the engine workshops.
British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC) is based at Cardiff International Airport. Here, all 747 and 777 fleet 'heavy' maintenance along with most of the airline's long-haul fleet interior conversions is done. British Airways Avionic Engineering (BAAE) is also based in South Wales which is responsible for the repair, modification and overhaul of the vast majority of the avionic and electrical components used in the BA fleet and some of those used by other airlines. It is situated in three purpose built workshop buildings at Llantrisant.
There is also a facility in Hayes,North west London:British Airways Component Engineering,(BACE) which carries out repair and overhaul on pneumatic,hydraulic and power generating components as well as wheels and brakes.There is also a machine shop where repair and manufacture of parts is carried out.Third party work is done here also.
British Airways Maintenance Glasgow (BAMG) is where all Airbus A319, A320, A321 and Boeing 737 'heavy' maintenance is done. The hangar has avionic, composite and an interiors workshop. All components that are not overhauled at Glasgow are sent to London for overhaul. Line maintenance at Glasgow is carried out by hangar engineers, as well as a dedicated shift for night stop-overs. BA's B737 'light' maintenance is carried out at Gatwick.
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
maintenance subsidiary of British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
which provides support services to British Airways and other airlines. It is responsible for the entire BA Boeing 747 fleet maintenance, cabin interior conversions and general ramp maintenance work for both their own fleet and other airlines. It also sends some of its own heavy maintenance work out to other companies, although the vast majority of aircraft and cabin interior work is still carried out by BA Engineering itself.
British Airways Engineering was formed from the merger of the engineering divisions of BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
and BEA
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
's when the two airlines merged in 1974 to form British Airways. Today, British Airways Engineering has hangars at Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
(its base), Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
, Glasgow
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
and Cardiff International
Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff Airport is an international airport serving Cardiff, and the rest of South, Mid and West Wales. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010....
airports as well as hundreds of line maintenance stations (engineers based around the world to do minor 'line' maintenance such as routine daily inspections or minor repairs). A team of about 30 engineers are still based at MAN earning revenue from a large number of third party airlines. It also consists of the Avionic division which is based at Pontyclun
Pontyclun
Pontyclun is a village in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is served by the South Wales Main Line and has its own local rugby union club...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, which services the majority of the removable avionic units, and some mechanical components.
There are now 3 main maintenance hangars at Heathrow, these being (TB standing for technical block) TBJ, TBK and TBA along with a huge maintenance hangar called TBE and engineering's main office building called TBC.
TBJ & TBK (4 bays combined together): All of BA's 747 fleet 'light' maintenance is done here. The hangars are complete with component and engine maintenance facilities, workshops and a small interior 'patching up' line (to do minor maintenance on seats). Outside the hangar there is a parking area for the up to 8 planes and an engine test pit.
TBA (8 bay hangar): Airbus A319, A320, A321, 757 and 767 'light' maintenance along with almost all 757 and 767 fleet 'heavy' maintenance is done here.
TBE: The minor or 'casualty' hangar, is where most minor work is done, engine and leg changes for example and any work that can be done in the short period of time an aircraft has on the ground. The section covers all the airline's Airbus fleet along with the Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. Engineers based here support the line maintenance and major maintenance areas as required and the section is now known as the FSU (Fleet Support Unit).
TBC: Engineering's main offices and some training facilities are located here, and is where most support engineers and senior managers are based. Planning, development, finance and technical support sections are all based on the 9th floor. The ground floor houses the engine workshops.
British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC) is based at Cardiff International Airport. Here, all 747 and 777 fleet 'heavy' maintenance along with most of the airline's long-haul fleet interior conversions is done. British Airways Avionic Engineering (BAAE) is also based in South Wales which is responsible for the repair, modification and overhaul of the vast majority of the avionic and electrical components used in the BA fleet and some of those used by other airlines. It is situated in three purpose built workshop buildings at Llantrisant.
There is also a facility in Hayes,North west London:British Airways Component Engineering,(BACE) which carries out repair and overhaul on pneumatic,hydraulic and power generating components as well as wheels and brakes.There is also a machine shop where repair and manufacture of parts is carried out.Third party work is done here also.
British Airways Maintenance Glasgow (BAMG) is where all Airbus A319, A320, A321 and Boeing 737 'heavy' maintenance is done. The hangar has avionic, composite and an interiors workshop. All components that are not overhauled at Glasgow are sent to London for overhaul. Line maintenance at Glasgow is carried out by hangar engineers, as well as a dedicated shift for night stop-overs. BA's B737 'light' maintenance is carried out at Gatwick.