Hangar Project

Hangar Project

Start date
1 February, 2025
End date
1 February, 2035

About

Before 1991, all traffic in and out of Rothera departed from the Falkland Islands by ship. In the 1991-92 austral summer season, a runway and hangar facility were commissioned to create an ‘airbridge’ onto the continent. The hangar has housed British Antarctic Survey (BAS) aircraft for over 30 years, and currently the Dash-7 and three Twin Otter aircraft use the facility. The hangar only operates during the summer season, in which the aircraft are stored, serviced and maintained.

Thirty years of Antarctic weather conditions have begun to reveal signs of degradation on the hangar. BAS are looking to extend the service life of the steel frame, floor and foundations to service air operations for another sixty years, while reusing as much of the original design as possible and minimising new materials in keeping with BAS and AIMP Sustainability targets.

The new Hangar will accommodate 3 x Twin Otters (minimum), and the Dash 7 aircraft.

The hangar project aims to provide:

  1. Improved operational safety of airside facilities.
  2. Improved safety response capability.
  3. Improved quality of working conditions.
  4. Maintained current level of operational resilience with new airbridge platform.
  5. Fewer biosecurity audit findings.
  6. Reduced maintenance burden and operating costs.
  7. Reduced energy use across facility.
  8. Renewable energy for station.