Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Bombardier manufactures a variety of business aircraft models, provides engineering, and aircraft maintenance services.

What does it take to run a successful maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility as the business aviation sector enters the second quarter of the 21st century? Obviously, technical competence, a relentless focus on safety, and keeping the customer’s aircraft in service have to be assured. But now, companies are under pressure to operate with as small an environmental footprint as possible, and it’s no longer a given that they will be able to recruit and retain the skilled employees on which the success of these operations is based.
The innovation it takes to make the grade in these ways is much in evidence at Bombardier’s service center at London Biggin Hill Airport. The facility is part of the airframer’s global product support network, which—outside North America—encompasses bases in Berlin, Paris, Singapore, Melbourne, and Dubai.
Bombardier’s plan to reduce carbon emissions from its MRO activities now includes the installation of solar panels and electric charging stations at the large Biggin Hill site. More than 3,000 solar panels are now providing 32% of the 250,000-sq-ft site’s energy needs. They are expected to generate more than 1.133 million kilowatt-hours of power, lowering the facility’s annual carbon emissions by up to 250 tonnes.
The green focus plays into Bombardier’s human resources strategy. Now the company has plans to provide e-bikes for employees, mainly to give them an alternative to the almost-one-mile walk to the nearest bus stop and therefore an alternative to a carbon-spewing drive to work each day.
The Biggin Hill facility employs 283 B1/B2 engineers and mechanics, and Bombardier is seeking to increase this total above 310. In Singapore, it employs 210 and in Berlin, there are 150.
Significant numbers of the Biggin Hill facility’s staff come from across the UK, and high real estate prices in the leafy London suburb can make it hard for them to relocate. This challenge is evidenced by a trend in which some employees have taken to living out of RVs around the site and returning to faraway homes when they go off duty.
<h2>Easing the Burden of Long Commutes</h2>
In partial response to the lengthy commutes staff face, Bombardier adjusted shift patterns to a rotation of five days on, four days off followed by four days on, five days off, guaranteeing fixed weekend periods for personal time. In partnership with Biggin Hill Airport’s private owners, the company now plans to build an accommodation block to provide more settled local lodging for employees.
The manufacturer is investing in its skills future and currently has 49 apprentices engaged in a three-year program. These young recruits will receive initial training at Farnborough College of Technology while also building experience at Biggin Hill. The college is adjacent to Farnborough Airport, where Bombardier added a line maintenance station in July. The goal is to hire 16 technicians from the program each year, and 5 more from a retraining program.
Bombardier is taking a similar approach at other MRO locations. Earlier this year, it launched an apprenticeship program with Wichita State University’s Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology to gain airframe and powerplant mechanic qualification. Over the two-year paid program, students complete hands-on instruction at Bombardier’s Wichita Service Center as well as attend classroom training.
At Red Oak in Texas, the business jet builder has run another apprenticeship scheme with the Texas State Technical College. This program led to the recruitment of technicians involved in manufacturing the wing for the Global 7500.
The company is active in the U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, which provides training for military personnel wanting to acquire skills for a career in the aerospace industry. Trainees have access to 60- to 90-day in-person training at Bombardier service centers across the U.S.

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