Leonardo is now an anchor tenant at the new aerospace centre iAero, located next to the company’s site in Yeovil, Somerset – the ‘Home of British Helicopters’. This tenancy highlights the company’s continued commitment to aerospace innovation in the region and beyond.
The iAero innovation centre in Yeovil, which opened its doors in February 2022, is a collaboration between Somerset County Council, the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and Leonardo Helicopters.
A Leonardo team has now taken residence in the modern innovation hub with a primary focus on aircraft autonomy, electrical systems, and sustainable VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) technologies.
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Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has received a further order boost, this time from Malaysia Aviation Group, parent company of Malaysia Airlines.
The group has chosen the A330neo model for its widebody fleet renewal programme. An initial agreement involves the purchase of 20 A330-900 aircraft, with 10 to be acquired from Airbus and 10 leased from Dublin-based Avolon.
Airbus employs almost 5,000 staff at its Broughton plant, near Chester, which makes wings for all its commercial aircraft.