The Governor of Victoria, John Landy, AC, MBE, officially opened the new production hangar for Gippsland Aeronautics on Thursday 10 June while visiting Latrobe Regional Airport, which was the final venue on the Vice-Regal tour of Latrobe City.
The completion of the hangar by the Airport Board permits Gippsland Aeronautics to co locate production activities associated with the manufacture of the GA8 Airvan from elsewhere in Gippsland Aeronautics' complex, greatly increasing the efficiency of the GA8 production line. Currently a new GA8 is completed every nine working days and ultimately the new hangar will allow this production rate to increase to a new plane every five working days. This will require a further increase in the number of staff employed from the current 110 to around 130.
While inspecting the Gippsland Aeronautics' manufacturing plant and the production of the GA8 Airvan aircraft, the Governor and Mrs Landy witnessed the 100th Gippsland Aeronautics built aircraft which is currently on the production line.
In addition, the Governor witnessed two GA8s being loaded into shipping containers for export. The GA8s are either partially disassembled by removing the wings and tail for export by container, or flown complete to destinations such as Indonesia with auxiliary fuel tanks to enable them to fly the long distances involved.
Gippsland Aeronautics is the only manufacturer of commercial light aircraft in Australia, and have sold Airvans in ten countries world-wide to date.
Gippsland Aeronautics leases all of its production facilities from Latrobe City Council through the Airport Board and both parties agree that this most effective partnership approach continues to be a major contributor to the success and growth of both Gippsland Aeronautics and the Latrobe Regional Airport.
The completion of the second GA8 Production Hangar is a further milestone in the partnership arrangement.
Following the official opening of the production hangar, the Governor and Mrs Landy were guests at a morning tea and mingled with Gippsland Aeronautics staff.
For information about this article please contact: Marguerite Morgan Sales Coordinator Gippsland Aeronautics PO Box 881 MORWELL 3840 AUSTRALIA Tel: 61 3 5172 1200 Fax: 61 3 5172 1201 Email: sales@gippsaero.com |
