Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd

Airbus Helicopters is the world’s largest commercial helicopter manufacturer and the company’s site at Oxford Airport is Britain’s civil helicopter hub. Providing a shop window for some of the world’s most advanced and popular helicopters, it is Airbus Helicopters’ pedigree in design and development of bespoke solutions, as well as premium maintenance and repair services which make it a favourite with helicopter users across the country. With a focus on customer services and satisfaction, Airbus Helicopters  in the UK’s dedicated support and training services has helped customers ensure consistently high levels of aircraft availability.

Location: Kidlington, Oxfordshire

Volume: 170m2

The Challenge

1. Airbus wanted to provide a customer display area that showed off their helicopters to the best advantage whilst giving their customers access to their aircraft in a safe environment.
2. The painted concrete floor was uneven and the soft backed vinyl they had used to delineate the customer area was not robust enough to withstand the movement of aircraft on and off and so wore out after only 12 months.
3. A smart low maintenance alternative was required to cope with this unique environment.

The Solution

Airbus had installed small areas of Ecotile in several of their workshops on site and so were confident the tiles could be laid over the uneven substrate and would cope with the aircraft being moved on and off regularly. Ecotile were able to advise on the best way of creating the “H” in the centre of the area; using the water laser jet cutting technique we employ to make our logo tiles and safety signs. This method means the pattern is cut in to the tiles rather than just being printed on the surface and so ensures it will never  wear away.

“Our interlocking floor tiles lend themselves to this kind of project perfectly as the tiles with the ramps and corners can be used to create a display area in a larger space. They are specifically designed to cope with uneven substrates and heavy traffic and the ability to cut in signs and logos really gives the ‘wow’ factor”.

– James Gedye, Founder & CEO, Ecotile.

“The installation was straightforward and we are happy with the performance of the tiles so far. It’s not the cheapest product on the market but we received very good customer service and expect the tiles to last a long time. I would recommend Ecotile to companies needing a smart and durable floor”.

Facilities Manager, Airbus Helicopters UK Ltd