Thales signs five-year deal to extend stay at Teside Airport

A safety critical flight inspection company which has served the UK military for almost thirty years has signed a new lease to cement its place at Teesside Airport.

Thales has signed a five-year agreement with the airport as part of a deal which also includes improvements to its home hangar.

The company provides safety assurance for navigation systems and radars at Ministry of Defence sites all over the globe - with an ever-growing portfolio of civil airfields now also on its books. The agreement means the company’s operation will retain Teesside as its base until 2030 at the earliest.

Thales Flight Inspection Service specialises in conducting flight inspection services to ensures the navigation aids used by both military and civil aircraft are safe, accurate and operating in accordance with the regulations.

These systems are imperative for ensuring aircraft can land safely and navigate accurately - particularly in challenging environments or during poor weather.

John Hogan, Manager of Thales Flight Inspection Service, said: “We’ve been the sole supplier to the MoD for Flight Checking since 1996.

“Military and Civil aircraft rely on us to ensure the safety of their airports. We look after every single airport for the MoD worldwide. Even when at war, we were out in Afghanistan, Iraq, looking after the installations out there for them.

“We’ve just come back from Akrotiri - we go to The Falklands twice a year, Gibraltar, and we’ve got our ever-growing civil customers.”

Thales’ services include checking systems such as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), which help planes land safely in low visibility, VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) beacons and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), which guide aircraft.

The firm also oversees more specialist military systems such as TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation) and Precision Approach Radar used on Ministry of Defence (MoD) bases worldwide. They also test Primary and Secondary Radar Systems including deployable assets as well as the UK’s Air Defence radar systems.

Thales operates two aircraft based in the UK - a Hawker Beechcraft B200, and a Diamond DA42MNG - all specially modified to perform these inspections. A Britten Norman Islander based in the Falklands has been modified specifically for this biannual visit.

Missions are flown by high flying hours experienced pilots and Flight Inspectors who are equipped with specialist systems. They gather data from the air to assess whether ground-based navigation and radar systems are functioning to high international standards.

John explained how Thales was seeing its business grow.

He added: “On top of our MoD commitments, we’ve got more civil work coming in and we’re getting that at a rate of knots at the moment. It’s most definitely on an upward trajectory. “We’re fully anticipating growing the business and that will ultimately lead to more staff and assets.”

Thales has been based at Teesside since 1996, originally under the name Flight Precision Ltd.

Although it relocated to Bournemouth briefly between 2014 and 2016 under previous ownership, the team were asked where they wanted to go when Thales acquired the business.

“We said Teesside, of course, so we came back, it’s the perfect location that is central to our UK operation that ranges from Northern Scotland to South-West England,” added John.

The new five-year deal includes improvements to their hangar, which provides around 7,500 square feet of space for aircraft and offices.

The Thales team with Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Victoria Ashby, Head of Property and Development at Teesside Airport.

Victoria Ashby, Head of Property and Development at Teesside Airport, said: “Thales has been an incredibly loyal and a long-standing partner to Teesside Airport.

“We’re proud to have a firm which has helped keep our armed forces safe, secure and finely tuned for almost three decades at our airport – and we’re very pleased to secure their time here until 2030 at the earliest.

“Our Business Park is now one of the fastest growing in the country, with Airbourne Colours, Willis Aviation and Draken all expanding their operations. It means the future is bright and we’d urge other companies to consider us – with our freeport benefits, ideal position in the centre of the UK, and freight potential.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen added: “Our Airport has proud military roots - and those links to our armed forces are still going strong today through Draken, veterans in our airport teams and Thales.

“It’s brilliant to see Thales, a company that plays a vital role in keeping our MoD operating smoothly, doubling down on their commitment to Teesside. They’re exactly the kind of high-skill, high-tech employer we want to see thriving here - creating good-quality jobs and helping us build a stronger, more secure future for our airport and our region.”

Thales remains fully approved for both military and civil inspection operations - compliant with both UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 1st May 2025 | Issue #794

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