Professional services firms to resurface RAF Northolt runway

21 November 2018 Consultancy.uk

Construction firm Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure and engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald will work on the resurfacing of an RAF runway near Ealing. The Defence Infrastructure Organization (DIO) announced that Lagan has won the overall contract, while Mott MacDonald will be principal support provider for the project.

As the Royal Airforce looks to prepare its facilities for modern defence activities, it has commissioned a string of refurbishments in bases across the world. These have included the successful completion of work on RAF Gibraltar’s facilities, and a £46 million retooling of Cyprus located base RAF Akrotiri, along with a project nearing completion at RAF Marham.

Now, the RAF has embarked upon a major improvement process for its strategic site near London, RAF Northolt. Home to the last remaining military airfield within the M25 area, the flying operations that take place at the base provide a vital contribution to defence, wider government and the United Kingdom. Northolt is home to 33 supported units from all 3 armed services and wider government. 32 (also known as The Royal) Squadron are the resident flying squadron at the unit, who provide air transport to UK government and military leaders on official business.

The facility will now undergo resurfacing work, extending the life of the runway by 10 to 15 years. The work is expected to take around six months with the runway being closed for renovation from the spring of 2019 until that autumn. During this time, military aircraft will operate from RAF Benson in South Oxfordshire and civilian aircraft will operate from other civilian airports.

In order to initiate the project, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) issued a tender for a contract worth £23 million for a company to oversee the upgrade of the existing runway, improve drainage and install new arrestor beds to improve safety. Eventually, this saw Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure awarded the contract. The construction firm helps facilitate the development of airport infrastructure and buildings internationally, often in remote parts of the globe, and will be assisted by consulting firm Mott MacDonald, which has been tapped as Lagan’s principal support provider.

DIO Project Manager for the work, Clement Adekoyejo, commented on the news, “We are pleased to have successfully awarded the contract for this vital project for military capability to Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure as the main contractor, and Mott MacDonald as our principal support provider. DIO plays a crucial role in maintaining infrastructure to allow the armed forces to live, work and train. We appreciate the public support for the station and will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum.”

James Aikman, Operations Director, Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure, added, “Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure are delighted to have been awarded the runway refurbishment contract at RAF Northolt. We are pleased to be afforded the opportunity to continue our collaborative working relationship with the DIO, which has proven to be successful over the years. Our experienced and dedicated team look forward to delivering yet another interesting project safely, on time and within budget.”