Cobham Aviation Services UK, which operates and maintains a fleet of specially modified Dassault Falcon 20 aircraft from their base at Teesside International Airport has announced a major new long-term deal which will keep them stationed in the Tees Valley for years to come.
Teesside Airport has been one of the company’s bases for more than 25 years and Cobham has recently secured a strategically important long-term contract with the Ministry of Defence to continue and grow its services.
Cobham combines advanced aviation and surveillance technologies with highly skilled people to deliver a range of mission-critical global aviation services for military and civil customers worldwide.
The fleet of five Dassault Falcon 20 jets are fitted with cutting edge mission systems which are capable of electronic warfare, threat simulation, communications and radar jamming. These systems provide vital training for personnel from the UK MOD, the United States Air Force Europe and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) making sure they’re combat ready and fully prepared for operational deployments.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Teesside Airport isn’t just about the flights to Alicante and other popular summer holiday destinations, as important as these are, it is also about creating and supporting good quality long-term jobs like pilots, engineers and mechanics for the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.
“I’ve heard how Cobham is building on and retaining local jobs and have increased their numbers by 25% over the last 18 months. But this company, right here on our doorstep, is also providing expert training to Armed Forces from across the globe, once again firmly putting the Tees Valley on the map.
“I’ve been so impressed looking around this facility and I’m excited about the hive of activity right now at our airport. Just this week we witnessed the second large aircraft flying into the new European base of global aviation firm Willis International and I know more are expected to arrive over the coming weeks.”
Spike Jepson, Cobham VP of Flight Operations said: “To have secured another long-term contract with the UK MOD is really exciting and it is testament to the hard work, skill and dedication of our team. It has enabled us to make further significant investments in infrastructure, technology and staff numbers which is fabulous for the business and great for the local area.”
Teesside International are also now home to the European base of Willis Asset Management. The global aviation company are leasing Hangar 1 and 1A in order to house aircraft and parts while carrying out maintenance, storage and disassembly of a wide variety of planes. The first aircraft to arrive, a Boeing 737, flew in from Oslo late last month and was followed by a former Fiji Airways 737 on Sunday.
