£1.4million aircraft hangar gets ready for take-off
October 23, 2020
A £1.4 million development of a new aircraft hangar in Cambridgeshire is nearing practical completion.
High-flying aircraft company IAE is expanding its operations with the construction of a 28,299 sq ft maintenance and repair hangar at Little Staughton Airfield, Huntingdonshire.
The scheme was given planning consent by Huntingdon District Council. Construction has made good progress and is expected to reach practical completion in November.Jon Green, of Kirkby Diamond, has project managed the delivery of IAE’s new facility.
Mark Pepper, partner and head of building surveying at Kirkby Diamond, said: “IAE has invested heavily in this fantastic new facility which will provide vital support services for aviation across the region.It has been a really interesting project for our team and we are very pleased with the progress the development has made.
“Works are nearing completion and the Civil Aviation Authority is due to attend at the beginning of November to look to sign off so that IAE can move out of its Cranfield location to new home at Little Staughton.”
For speed of erection and cost savings, a cold rolled frame method of construction was used. Composite panels were built on site again to reduce the lead-in period for receiving this type of materials, added Mark
The hangar is constructed using a lattice structure, cold rolled steel frame, and incorporates 30 x 6m 10 panel sliding main doors along with offices, reception area, crew room, an apron, car parking, and landscaping. The company is also taking a 99-year lease on the adjacent runway.
Formed in 1997, IAE Ltd is an aviation maintenance company currently based at Cranfield, in Bedfordshire. Owners Garry Joyce and Andy Baker took control of the company in 2006 as part of a management buy-out and have continued to grow the company into one of the leading maintenance companies in the UK. Andy said: “Garry and I are very pleased with the progress Kirkby Diamond and the team have made on this important project.”