Storm Aviation, part of FL Technics, announced that its calibration laboratory in London-Stansted has been approved by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). (Photo: Avia Solutions Group)
MRO provider Storm Aviation has gained UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) approval for its aircraft tooling calibration laboratory at London Stansted Airport.
Storm head of sales Ian Jones told Avionics International in an interview that “anything that touches the aircraft” for maintenance work is included in the approval. “Every tool needs to be calibrated,” he said.
UKAS assesses companies based nationally and internationally agreed standards for calibration services, among other activities.
UK-based Storm conducts aircraft line maintenance and base maintenance for its own aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) aircraft—it has a fleet totaling 175 units—as well as passenger and cargo airlines around the world.
The Stansted calibration lab is used by Storm’s mechanics, but will be made available to other MRO providers, Jones said.
But outside MRO companies and airlines, such as European low-cost carrier Ryanair, could not utilize Storm’s Stansted tooling accreditation service absent UKAS approval. “Ryanair, a massive airline, one of Europe’s largest, has their base right next door to us at Stansted,” Jones said. “They would love to give us their calibration work. But until we can demonstrate that we have this UKAS approval … it was something that was a little bit beyond our reach. [UKAS approval represents a] deeper accreditation that we’ve now achieved, so it opens a lot of doors in terms of the wider airline and MRO community.”
“Being UKAS accredited gives our customers the added confidence that their tools and equipment are being calibrated to the highest level.” (Photo: Avia Solutions Group)
Storm added in a statement: “With safety being at the forefront of our business, being UKAS accredited gives our customers the added confidence that their tools and equipment are being calibrated to the highest level, whilst meeting UK and international standards.”
While Storm’s tooling calibration services are based at Stansted, the company also “can offer a mobile service for certain items and tools and equipment” to airlines and MRO providers at airports and facilities that are driving distance from Stansted. “So, that means that one of our highly experienced engineers can actually hop in the mobile calibration unit truck and actually perform those calibration services at the location of our customers’ choosing,” Jones explained.
Storm said the UKAS accreditation means it meets the ISO/IEC 17025 standard, the requirement for a calibration lab’s competence. “In many cases, suppliers and regulatory authorities will not accept tests or calibration results from a laboratory that is not accredited,” the company explained. “Storm Aviation’s calibration laboratory has met this requirement and is now authorized to perform accredited calibrations in accordance with its scope of work.