Châteauroux (France): Vallair, the multi-faceted aviation business dedicated to the support of airlines and lessors, has opened the doors to its unique new maintenance hangar located at Marcel Dassault Airport in Châteauroux, France.
The enormous state-of-the-art facility can accommodate up to five A321 size aircraft simultaneously, or a combination of A330/A340 and A321s.
Together with the Centre-Val de Loire Region and the Châteauroux Centre Airport Establishment, Vallair is proud to play a key role in the reindustrialisation of France and its aeronautical scene with this A380 capable, 8,520m² hangar which will create nearly 200 jobs in the region.
As this unique facility stands as one of the largest hangars of its kind in the world, this milestone has involved unprecedented collaboration from several parties.
Supply chain shortages and COVID aside, establishing the infrastructure, resources and technology for this environmentally friendly facility has necessitated the resolution of many challenges.
Grégoire Lebigot, Founder & CEO of Vallair, summed up what it means for local economy dynamics, “We are part of ‘Aérocentre’, the regional centre of excellence in Centre-Val de Loire that works to develop and sustain the aeronautical sector across the area with over 120 member organisations. Vallair stands as one of its key players over the last fifteen years and we are proud to be part of the rich aviation heritage in the heart of France.”
“During this period, we have developed unparalleled expertise in the aerostructures arena, including composites and key components like nacelles and thrust reversers on site, along with aircraft recycling, cargo conversions, and our MRO activities which now extend to widebody capabilities. It is our aim to ensure that our customers can benefit from all these complementary on-site skills and the associated cost savings that we can offer.”
Parking and storage at CHR airport can already accommodate widebodies and Vallair believes this is the perfect timing and opportunity to enhance its capabilities and reach those airlines who are presently struggling with maintenance slots.
Vallair will initially focus on Airbus A330 heavy maintenance capabilities with a view to adding A340, A350, and possibly Boeing B777 capabilities in the near future. In-house cargo conversion services will also commence with narrowbodies and quickly expand to a range of other popular platforms, including widebodies.
