Brisbane Keeping The World Flying

2022-08-23

A brand new $8 million dollar facility in Brisbane will provide a jobs boost, extra skills training, and deliver Queensland significant business as it maintains aircraft systems from across the globe.

The expanded GE Aviation Systems Australia (GEASA) facility at Brisbane Airport is its largest in the Asia Pacific Region.

The company maintains propellers, flight management systems, instruments and aircraft power systems.

Its work helps keep passenger aircraft in the skies including the Boeing 737 and 787, Q400 and F50 regional aircraft. It also repairs propellers for the RAAF’s fleet of C-130J Super Hercules and C-27J Spartan Military Transport Aircraft.

The new high-tech workshop is almost double the size of its previous location.

"GE Aviation has been a partner of Brisbane Airport for the past 25 and it was time for a new facility. This workshop is important for the future of the airport. We don’t only need pilots, airline staff and baggage handlers, but we need highly skilled engineers too to grow this airport for the future," according to Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff.

GEASA has just seen the graduation of its first two apprentices. Daniel Bassett has completed his Certificate IV in Aeroskills, Mechanical. "Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreamt of working on aircraft. I grew up around an airport, so I was very inspired from a young age. This qualification will allow me to work as an aircraft engineer, not just in workshops but on flight lines and in hangars as well."

GE Aviation Systems Australia has hosted students from nearby Aviation High since 2007, giving them a glimpse of the workshop, which is servicing components from Australia, China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand and Europe.

"It is truly a global facility. It’s a skills factory and we hope one day the students of Aviation High will find a place in the aviation workforce, in these facilities and others throughout the airport. This is an investment in skills capability in the sector and it's an investment in Queensland and Australia," according to Sam Maresh, County Leaders GE Australia.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed the boost the facility will provide to the local economy, and the contribution of Brisbane Airport to Queensland.

"As we know the airport’s growing here, more flights are coming back as we go into our post-pandemic phase and we want to make sure we set this state up for the future, and our state has an absolutely bright future."

That bright future is reflected in Brisbane Airport's decision to kick off Stage Two of its Airport Industrial Park.

"The demand here for commercial development at Brisbane Airport is unbelievable. It’s the biggest we’ve ever seen. We’ve got more developments underway than we’ve ever had, over 12 developments under construction at the moment. Another 100 hectares will be available over the next 10 years," according to Martin Ryan, BAC Executive General Manager Commercial.

"Brisbane Airport is an amazingly connected place to The Port of Brisbane, the city and freeways north and south. And of course, there’s a runway out the back which allows people to import and export goods in and out of Brisbane and Queensland."

The new GE Aviation Systems Australia facility will be officially opened in September employing more than 80 people.

Brisbane Airport has 2000 jobs going across the precinct and will hold the BNE Careers Expo on September 10. It will allow potential workers to meet direct with companies and training providers. Free tickets are available from bne.com.au/jobs