New leader takes the helm at London Biggin Hill Service Centre

Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill Service Centre has ushered in a new leader.

Paul Thompson, a veteran aviation professional with more than 25 years of experience in quality control and customer experience roles, has been named the new General Manager of the facility. Thompson is an accomplished aviation professional who is committed to the successful performance of all aspects of aerospace manufacturing, engineering, customer support and maintenance. He is dynamic, resourceful, and he leads by example.

Thompson is no stranger to Bombardier. Since 2001, he has held a variety of roles within the company including: Methods Engineer, Q400 program; Customer Focus Liaison Officer; Quality Manager, Q400 program; Quality Manager, Global 7000/Global 8000 program; Director, Customer Support (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia, and CIS); and General Manager of the Q400 program. Most recently, he was Director of Maintenance at Flybe/Virgin Connect where he was responsible for the team that maintained the fleet of 66 commercial aircraft, including the Q400, E195 and E175 models.

Thompson joins the team at a critical juncture in the facility’s development. Currently undergoing an important expansion, the facility is key to the continued growth of Bombardier’s customer service footprint in Europe. The expansion will produce a new, larger facility (close to 250,000 square feet or approximately 23,225 square metres) to replace its existing hangars. The facility will provide the space and flexibility to offer a full range of maintenance and refurbishment services on Bombardier’s vast portfolio of products and has the capacity to accommodate as many as 14 Global 7500 aircraft at the same time.

The expansion will also introduce sought-after capabilities and state-of-the-art installations including component painting and interior refurbishment capabilities, component repair and overhaul workshops and training rooms. The site will also ensure a quick response to its customers’ repair needs with the integration of a brand-new parts depot. Construction is currently ongoing and the facility is expected to be fully operational in the first part of 2022.