A Northern Ireland aerospace company is investing £7.5 million in a new testing facility at its site in Banbridge.
Thompson Aero Seating, which makes premium class flatbed seating for global aircraft manufacturers, said the 13,500 square feet facility will allow it to carry out certification of its new products locally and boost its research and development abilities. It is the first Dynamic Test Facility on the island of Ireland and will remove the need for products to be sent to Europe of the US to be rubber stamped.
The new facility will feature advanced sled-testing technology, which will enable Thompson’s engineers to reproduce the dynamic conditions of a full-scale crash event in a controlled environment.
Construction has already begun at the site and testing is due to begin in Autumn.
“This is a significant investment by Thompson that will give us enhanced capability for certifying new products for airworthiness and carrying out research and development work locally,” Neil Taggart, CEO of Thompson Aero Seating, said. “Having this on-site capacity will enable us to save on lead times in the development of new seats and improve sustainability – which are positives for our airline customers.”
Invest Northern Ireland has offered £750,000 support towards the capital investment on the project.
“This investment marks a significant commitment by Thompson Aero Seating to build on its world-renowned expertise in delivering high-end seating globally,” Jeremy Fitch, Executive Director of Business Growth at Invest NI said. “Our support towards the construction of the new facility will enable the company to grow its workforce and further enhance the skills of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing base.
“The aerospace sector has faced very challenging times because of the impact of the pandemic on airline travel. This investment by Thompson is a very positive sign of its commitment to recovery and future growth and I wish the company well with its plans for the future.”
