Press Release

Issued by London Biggin Hill Airport Ltd.

February 14, 2013

Biggin Hill-based Avalon Aero has notched up an impressive award for engineering performance at the annual awards for regional operators hosted by BAE Systems at a recent ceremony in Edinburgh.

Named as 'Best performing niche market maintenance organisation' among European regional operators, BAE Systems said that for 12 years Avalon Aero had grown their business on all variants of the 146 type steadily over the period, winning new business over the last two years that has accelerated growth, new confidence among customers originating from their wealth of technical knowledge, commercial skills and professionalism.

The trophy was received at the ceremony by Martin Darling, technical director for Avalon Aero who is based at the company's heavy engineering facility at Cranfield, Bedfordshire.

"We are very proud to be recognised in this way as Avalon Aero was up against some stiff opposition. It is very much a team award, achieved by our hard-working engineering teams who have contributed so strongly to our demanding performance objectives" says Martin.

Avalon Aero is a government-approved aircraft maintenance organisation that has been serving the UK and European aviation industry since inception in 2000. Their niche operation maintains the BAe 146 used for scientific research into cloud physics, air pollution and airborne atmospheric measurements. Other clients include Formula One Management whose two 146's are based at Biggin Hill and Qinetiq with two 146 RJ's based at Boscombe Down where they are flown by the Empire Test Pilots School.

The Avalon Aero engineering team at Biggin Hill Airport provide facilities for home-based corporate jets and international visitors including pre-departure light line maintanance, secure hangarage and crew support. The company specialise in base maintenance for Hawker Beechcraft 125 series 800 and 1000, also Cessna 400 series.

Avalon Aero offer widely experienced engineers to provide technical advice or to conduct inspections or surveys of BAe 146 and Jetstream aircraft worldwide. They also provide licensed and security-checked engineers to undertake short term engineering support for these types of aircraft from any airport within the UK, Europe and North America.