Ontic, the US-headquartered parts manufacturer, has officially opened a 72,000 square foot (6,689 square metre) MRO facility in Tewksbury, Gloucestershire. The former printworks will employ 200 specialists at full capacity and expands the company's repair capability for commercial and defence aerospace components.

Ontic is headquartered in Chatsworth, California, and is a licensed OEM supplier of parts for mature aerospace platforms. It was acquired by CVC Capital Partners in 2019 in a deal valued at 1.3 billion dollars (1.11 billion euros).

The Tewksbury site forms part of a 30 million dollar (25.7 million euro) project to increase MRO capacity in the UK and Florida, where a similar expansion has already taken place. Ontic invested 4 million dollars (3.4 million euros) in testing facility upgrades and 11 million dollars (9.4 million euros) in refitting the building.

Specialist capabilities include pneumatic and hydraulic testing and repair, an avionics workshop with an ISO7 clean room, a non-destructive testing room, a machine shop and a dark room. Ontic says it will be the only UK-based MRO with this range of capabilities under one roof.

The dedicated site consolidates work previously spread across Ontic's manufacturing bases in nearby Bishops Cleeve and Staverton, and includes a dedicated AOG helpline and control centre. The first product lines moved in last May, after work began last September, and the facility has already achieved BSI AS9100 certification and Part 145 approvals from the UK CAA and EASA.

"By consolidating all our UK expertise in one dedicated site, we are investing in the people, capability and infrastructure to consistently deliver a faster, more responsive and more transparent service," said Brian Sartain, chief executive of Ontic. "Alongside our new Miramar facility in the US, this is a significant milestone in our commitment to keeping established fleets flying safely for decades to come."

Ontic says commercial airline customers will benefit from repair and maintenance support aligned with its expertise as a licensed OEM of thousands of product lines, with full MRO support across the lifecycle of aircraft and components.

"I am really pleased with the progress we have made in bringing Tewksbury to life," said Dave Mayne, MRO director for Europe.

For the sector, the opening shows OEM-licensed suppliers extending into in-house repair capacity as operators keep mature fleets flying for longer.

Source: Aviation Business News / Punchline Gloucester