Air and Space Institute: 'World-class' aerospace training facility opens in Newark

A new state-of-the-art aerospace training facility - including a full-sized commercial airplane - has flung open its doors near Nottingham.

The eagerly anticipated Air and Space Institute (ASI) in Newark has now received its first intake of students.

The £15.4m state-of-the-art facility provides world-class educational opportunities for future generations of the aerospace industry.

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The new ASI facility provides a unique opportunity for students aged 16-18 to train for pilot, engineer and ground-crew roles in airlines, the military, airports, and logistics companies across the UK and abroad.

The new three-storey college building constructed for Newark College sits adjacent to the Newark and Sherwood District Council offices on the former Cattle Market and is only the second of its kind to be built in the UK.

The facility provides high-tech training for the air and space industry, accommodating a full-sized Airbus A318 for enhanced hands-on teaching experience, alongside a double-height entrance hall, large open space hangar, flight simulators, teaching zones, engineering workshops, lecture and seminar areas.

It is anticipated that the building blueprint could form a model for future establishments of this type, across other areas of the UK.

Introducing a full-sized commercial aeroplane into the building posed a number of complexities including ensuring the installation was successfully implemented within the tight tolerances of the building.

Prior to arrival, reinforced concrete pads and beams were installed to strengthen the floor slab and a specialist hydraulic gantry was erected within the building to lift the fuselage from the low loader and temporarily suspend and support the aircraft mid-air.

Specially designed structural steel supporting systems were manufactured and installed to stabilise and take the weight of the aircraft, fixing it in its final position.

A world-class facility

Adrian Grocock, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson (a Midlands-based contractor, that delivered the project) said: “It’s been an honour to turn Lincoln College Group’s vision into a reality, providing a world-class training facility for young people going into the aerospace industry.

 “We worked closely with the client using the latest technology and specialist advice to ensure the seamless construction of the new campus building and the installation of the large commercial aircraft for educational purposes - consulting with third-party experts to manage the transportation and stabilisation of the aircraft to its final fixed position.”

A huge moment for Newark

Councillor Matthew Spoors, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Development at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “This is a huge moment not just for Newark but the whole district. We now have an amazing world-class training centre right in the heart of our community which will be giving local students opportunities to pursue successful and inspiring careers like they’ve never had before.

“This goes beyond just education but will create exciting developments for our local community. It will provide employment opportunities and boost our local economy and will be home to over 200 students each year. 

“It will directly create almost 40 new jobs for the area and importantly will create many more over the coming generations to those wanting to embark on careers and pathways into better skilled, well-paid jobs in the civil and military aviation industries.

“The ASI has all been made possible thanks to the successful Newark Town Board bid for £25m as part of the Government’s Towns Fund initiative in 2019 and it’s been great to see students already studying at the site after years of planning and construction.”