New Commercial Director For Cardiff Aviation

Cardiff Aviation has strengthened its leadership with the appointment of highly-experienced aviation executive Andy Braley as Commercial Director.

Andy, 55, joins from A J Walter Aviation (AJW), the world’s leading independent specialist in the supply, exchange, repair and lease of commercial aircraft spares, where he was Director of Business Development. Andy has more than 30 years global experience in aviation management and business development with organisations including AJW, Reed Elsevier, TRW/Lucas Aerospace and Normalair-Garrett.

“Cardiff Aviation is gathering momentum, winning business and commissions, and starting to fill its hangars with regular checks and its apron with care and maintenance contracts. We’re delivering and we’re expanding our range of services. We’re established in MRO and flight training, a new paint facility is on the way, and we are on the verge of commencing flight operations,” said Andy Braley.

“The MRO world is changing. OEMs want a bigger share, and just about every MRO player is reviewing the services and content it offers. Some legacy airlines continue to drive MRO activities for contribution to the bottom line, but new start-ups avoid owning such assets like the plague.

“At Cardiff Aviation we’re not just meeting MRO demands, but also a whole range of AOC, ACMI, operational support and CPL/MPL training needs as well. That puts us in a unique position – we can help start-ups at one end of the cycle, and airlines and lessors with ageing assets at the other.

“The opportunities we have before us are considerable and we’re already working with some significant partners to help deliver interesting solutions and good revenue streams for the business,” adds Andy.

“It’s a well-worn phrase, but we are developing as a genuine one-stop shop, and the structure of the business means we are not burdened with a legacy of debt that so deeply impacts overhead-driven prices to customers.”

Andy is originally from Manchester, and is a graduate of both Manchester and Bath universities and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

His appointment follows the recent arrival of Allan Dunne as Head of Flight Training from Spanish-based Flight Training Europe.

Cardiff Aviation (CA) was launched in mid-2012 by Iron Maiden vocalist and aviation entrepreneur Bruce Dickinson, who is himself a 7,000 hour Boeing 757 pilot, and Mario Fulgoni, a seasoned aviation chief executive and former airline captain. Both are current. CA has 132,000 square feet of hangar space capable of accommodating aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767-300, and parking for up to 30 narrow bodied commercial airliners. Its St Athan base operates a private airfield with a 6,000 ft runway.