An aerospace company co-founded by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson is to invest £5m into its Vale of Glamorgan site.
The announcement was made by Dickinson at this year’s Paris Air Show, which began today at Le Bourget north of Paris.
The veteran rocker opened Cardiff Aviation at St Athan’s Twin Peaks Hangar in May last year with business partner Mario Fulgoni, and the new investment is a combination of both public and private funding.
£1.6m is to be invested by Finance Wales, the Welsh government’s small business subsidiary, with the remaining finance coming from private and ownership investment.
Dickinson, speaking at the Paris Air Show, said: “The Welsh Government has played a fantastic role in a difficult economic environment in providing tremendous support and enthusiasm.
“Finance Wales’ long-term backing is the fuel not just to put St Athan on the map, but has the potential to create a consequentially much wider impact across the entire South Wales aerospace industry.”
He added there are now plans to invest in more engineering equipment to supplement and enhance existing technical capability at Cardiff Aviation, as well as aim for hundreds of new employees.
Business partner Fulgoni added: “This means Cardiff Aviation Limited will be permitted to manufacture and certify aircraft parts alongside our maintenance and training operations, thereby providing us with a full opportunity to exploit the range of technical equipment and expertise we acquired in taking over Twin Peaks from the RAF, and in establishing Cardiff Aviation.”
The company currently boasts 32,000sq ft of hangar space capable of accommodating aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767-300, and parking for up to 20 narrow bodied commercial airliners.
