Up & Away Aviation / Unifi Aviation UK opens at London’s Gatwick Airport

Tuesday 1st August 2023

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Up & Away Aviation, a leading supplier of aircraft cleaning and detailing services to commercial airline and private aviation clients, opens its 13th base at London’s Gatwick Airport today, August 1st.  It is the first under its newly ratified Unifi LLC ownership. 

 

Supporting one of Europe’s largest charter airlines and its B737 and B787 aircraft, Up & Away recruited 68, mostly West Sussex-based employees for the start of its commercial operation covering several roles from station manager and duty managers to allocators, bowser driver and cleaning agents. They will be led by newly appointed Base Manager Marcus Barker, cleaning departing aircraft from  Gatwick’s North and South Terminal.

 

“I’d like to thank Marcus, who joins us from Menzies Aviation, alongside Andy Cruise and Craig Cooper from C Squared Aviation Solutions, a newly-formed consultancy, who were drafted in to build our base from scratch whilst we focused on delivering our normal summer operations,” said Stefan Murphy, Managing Director of Up & Away Aviation and Unifi UK. “They have done a great job helping us identify the best workforce and expedited new airside passes quickly and efficiently. We are very proud to have created nearly 70 new jobs at the UK’s second largest airport,” he added.

 

Up & Away will recruit an additional 150 more staff and add more airside vehicles in the likelihood it will add more airline customers at Gatwick, bolstering its total workforce to nearly 700 employees.

 

Its new owner, Unifi, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, offers a wide range of ground services to domestic and international airlines, from ticketing and ground handling to cabin cleaning, cargo, security services, wheelchair assistance, and more.

 

Unifi acquired Up & Away last month, declaring the acquisition a perfect fit as it looks to grow its UK business to more than £100 million in the region over the next three years.  The business is aiming to replicate its success in the US, where it is present at more than 200 airports, providing customers with exceptional service.

 

Argenbright Group employs more than 5,000 employees in the UK.  The acquisition of Up & Away Aviation further strengthens Argenbright’s investment in the UK and its people and is part of its  strategic commitment  to the region. 

 

Pier 3 at London Gatwick Airport

(Photo credit - London Gatwick Airport)

 

Editor’s note:

 

Up & Away Aviation 

Up & Away provides various aviation services, including cabin cleaning, de-icing, executive jet detailing, technical cleaning, and other adjacent aviation services. The business has grown exponentially under the leadership of Stefan Murphy. Originally focused on executive jet clientele, the business expanded into working with prolific airline customers in 2019 when a leading airline CEO (and business jet owner) asked the company to pitch for its airline cleaning business.  

 

Today, its operations span 13 UK airports, including London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Belfast International, and now London Gatwick plus UK business aviation airports London Biggin Hill, Farnborough, London Oxford, where it supports a variety of business jets.  

 

About Unifi   

Unifi Aviation, LLC^® is the largest ground handling & aviation services company in North America, servicing more than two million flights annually. The company has stations in over 200 airports and provides a full range of services, including ground handling, passenger transport, security, cabin services, ground support equipment maintenance, and much more. Unifi is a part of the Argenbright Group and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit  unifiservice.com .

 

About Argenbright

The Argenbright Group is a privately held family of companies that provides tech-enabled solutions to various industries, including aviation services, facilities management, and commercial and government security. Argenbright Group was founded in 1979 by Atlanta-based entrepreneur Frank A. Argenbright, Jr., and has grown to a $1.6 billion run rate revenue global operation with presence across the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Europe. The Argenbright portfolio includes Velociti Services, Unifi Aviation (Unifi, ERMC, Scrub and Up & Away UK), and Argenbright Security Europe Limited (ASEL) among others.