Irish airline Ryanair is set to welcome its customers in with a new fleet of airport buses.

The company has awarded a multi-million pound contract to Mallaghan Engineering for the fleet. The initial contract will include a 32-strong fleet, which will be delivered in the next 12 months.

Mallaghan Engineering is one of the world's leading manufacturers of airport ground support equipment, employing over 450 staff at its manufacturing sites in Dungannon and Georgia, Atlanta in the USA and five other global offices.

This new contract will create 60 new jobs in Dungannon and follows the launch of the 'Mallaghan 50W' which is the largest capacity airport bus in the world, carrying up to 125 passengers. 

Ronan Mallaghan, Managing Director at Mallaghan Engineering, said: "Traditionally our product portfolio has focused on passenger stairs and a range of high lift trucks for catering, cabin cleaning and more specialist ground support equipment including water trucks, toilet trucks and de-icers.

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"But with increasing passenger numbers in the global market and to meet customer demands, we've developed and begun manufacturing the 'Mallaghan 50W' airport bus which broadens our range and heralds a new dawn for the Mallaghan team.

"We are currently recruiting for a range of roles included skilled mechanics, coach-builders, fitters, welders, joiners, spray painters and vehicle upholsters."

Used for transporting passengers to and from terminals and aircraft, the 'Mallaghan 50W' will offer a range of features that can be tailored to the customers specifications. It is also the only airport bus in the world with rear wheel steering, hence reducing the turning circle.

Ronan Mallaghan continued: "The Airport Bus is the result of a significant investment announced last year and was researched and designed by our talented team in Dungannon.

"Since Mallaghan's entered the GSE market in 1990, innovation for aviation has been at the core of our business.

"We expect to announce further investment in the weeks ahead, not only in research and development, but our facilities and our people, enabling us to expand our innovative product range and to significantly boost export sales."

Adrian Dunne, Ryanair Director of Operations, added: "Ryanair is delighted to be the launch customer for the new Mallaghan bus, who we have worked closely with in the design, specification and delivery of.

"As we expand the Ryanair Group operations, we expect this to be the first of many orders and look forward to working with Mallaghan – one of our key suppliers of ground equipment."

The keys to the first new Ryanair vehicle were handed over recently at the Inter Airport Europe trade show in Munich.  

(CM/JG)