UPWARD TRAJECTORY – A WORD FROM OUR MD

When discussing how 2024 is going for Caerdav, there’s certainly a temptation to lean heavily on aviation puns. I could start this roundup talking about how the business has really taken off, or perhaps give a nod to how we’re soaring or cruising, maybe the focus could be on us reaching new heights or how the sky’s the limit… But that all seems a little obvious.

Instead, I’m going to simply discuss and dissect what has been a phenomenal 2024 so far, a year in which growth is certainly the key word. A quick look at our team photo from 2023 compared to the most recent shot – taken to celebrate another successful winter maintenance season – is a fantastic visual representation of how Caerdav has expanded in that time.

With winter 2024/25 fast approaching, our main focus as a business has been to increase maintenance capacity, to be able to turnaround more aircraft, while also handling more of the work in house that we’ve traditionally had to outsource – and that is exactly what we’ve done.

Through some careful planning we have remodeled one of the two hangars at our ‘Twin Peaks’ home, creating the space to introduce a third line of maintenance. Opening this season, the third line will increase capacity by 50%, meaning we can accept and process more aircraft throughout the year.

In support of this we are also investing in our in-house capabilities, such as non-destructive testing (NDT) facilities, an expanded paint shop, plus increased component maintenance and heat treatments. Combined, these will help to improve operational efficiency and lower turnaround times, allowing us to deliver even better service to our customers.

You may have also seen that we have opened a dedicated Line Maintenance station at Cardiff Airport. At the moment, we are supporting our customer Avion Express and the flights it’s conducting for TUI over the summer, but plans are in place to make it a permanent fixture.

Finally, the first cohort of Caerdav apprentices graduate from their three-year course this summer – and we are delighted to have offered each of them a full-time contract with the business. Our Apprenticeship Programme has been designed to provide local young people with an opportunity to start a career in this exciting industry, which is something all of our apprentices have wholeheartedly embraced year-on-year. We’re excited to see how they progress!

Caerdav’s upward trajectory has been a carefully planned process and the steps we’ve taken in 2024 are really the culmination of a lot of hard work from the entire team, who have all shown such passion and dedication to the business. That said, this is really just the beginning of our long-term strategic plan, so now it’s time to get the gear up and head to our next destination… well, one more pun couldn’t hurt!