Durham Tees Valley Airport, which has been the base for police air support operations across the area for almost 20 years, is now playing a key role in the development of the national service.

The airport has invested in the construction of the new purpose-built hangar which is now the new ‘home’ for the national Police Air Service (NPAS) Eurocopter EC135 aircraft and is one of the five bases providing services across the seven police force areas within the NPAS North East Region.

The 320 square metres facility, which was built by Darlington-based steel framed building specialists Prospan, has been provided under a five-year agreement between the airport and the NPAS, and is tailor-made to the requirements of the service and the crew based at the airport.

Says Airport Commercial Director Andy Foulds “We are proud of the role which the airport has played in the development of police air services in the region and the fact that, when the NPAS was set up in 2012, we were chosen as one of the 23 strategic operations across England and Wales.

“The service has been a long-standing tenant and our investment means that, after using one of main hangars in the past, they now have facilities specially designed for their requirements…and the construction work was undertaken by a local company.”

Adds Sergeant Dave Clark, Base Manager for the NPAS at Durham Tees Valley “The National Police Air Service is a unique and ground-breaking development in modern policing. We aim to lead and coordinate the provision of policing from the air to ensure our communities are safer and feel safer.

“We need a good standard of hangar to allow us to operate safely and efficiently, which enables us to support local forces in the best way possible. This hangar is a real improvement, which meets our needs. We are very happy to continue our long standing good relationship with Durham Tees Valley Airport into the future.”

Comments Stewart Stainsby from Prospan “As a local company Prospan are proud to have been selected to construct the new hanger building for NPAS at Durham Tees Valley Airport. Working together with the team at DTVA and NPAS we have been able to provide a cost effective solution culminating in a high quality building tailored to the needs of the service and crew.”