First Minister for Wales opens new Centre of Excellence at GE Aviation Wales

First Minister for Wales, Carwyn Jones has opened a new state-of- the-art centre of excellence at GE Aviation Wales.

The Fan Case Centre of Excellence which has been developed by the company, will enable GE Aviation Wales to increase its component repair and overhaul capability. The centre, which will house fan cases for the GE90 and CFM engine lines, will incorporate composite repair and new technologies, further enhancing its capabilities as a leading assembly, test and overhaul facility.

Mike Patton, Managing Director of GE Aviation Wales said: “The new facility is part of our wider five year growth plan, which will help secure the future of the site and further develop our workforce, helping to ensure that there will be a future market for engine overhaul in Wales.”

Through business investment and Government support, over £1m has been invested to develop a Fan Case Centre of Excellence. The expansion project was supported with £350,000 from the Welsh Government’s Wales Economic Growth Fund which provides capital funding for investments that will create and retain jobs.

Mike Patton added: “Our aim is to ensure that GE Aviation Wales remains at the forefront of the aviation industry. This new facility will allow us to build on our success to date and will enable us to continue to deliver to our customers on time, with safety and quality always at the forefront of our minds.”

The First Minister said: “Aerospace is an extremely important industry to Wales and we are proud of our excellent relationship with GE Aviation, a world-class company which provides high quality jobs to approximately 1,200 people.

“I am delighted that the Welsh Government has been able to continue to support the company so that it can seize opportunities to grow and expand.”