According to ECO, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal recently signed a license with Mesa, part of the Hi Fly group, to build a second hangar at Beja Airport, in an investment of 60 million euros.

In a joint statement, ANA and the Board revealed that this new investment will allow “tripling maintenance capacity, reinforcing the airport’s role as a hub for aerospace and industrial development in Europe”.

Mesa's new 11,000 square meter maintenance hangar will be built next to the company's current facilities and will allow maintenance of all aircraft in the Airbus family, the statement reads.

The Bureau “will reinforce its capacity to provide services, including heavy and online maintenance, interior modernisation, engine and landing gear replacement, hydraulic tests, fault correction and baroscopic engine inspections”, specified the company of the Hi Fly group.

ANA, owned by Vinci Airports, highlighted that “the growth of an airport requires strategic planning adjusted to its market potential”.

“In the case of Beja, the focus has been on developing aero-industrial activities, such as aircraft maintenance, recycling and specialised air cargo operations”, especially because the airport benefits “from the connection to the Port of Sines and the reinforcement of the logistics infrastructure and cargo terminal”.

Other strategic segments have been “business and private aviation and charter tourist flights, especially in supporting niche markets, such as tourism and real estate projects on the Alentejo coast”, they added.

ANA also stated that “the joint work” carried out with the region has been “essential for this development” of the airport, namely through support for “businesses and activities, such as the growth of the Board” in this infrastructure, which results from the civil use of Air Base No. 11 in Beja.

According to the statement released, the agreement was signed on 3 December 2024, in the presence of representatives from ANA — Aeroportos de Portugal and MESA.

“The signing of this license represents an important step for the growth of Beja Airport, reinforcing ANA|Vinci Airports’ commitment to the development of the regions where it operates,” said ANA CEO Thierry Ligonnière, quoted in the statement.

Mesa's CEO, David Cruz, considered that this step “marks a new phase” for the company, which, since the opening of the first hangar at Beja Airport, in 2021, has “registered solid growth”.

“With this second hangar, we will triple our capacity and continue to offer excellent services to our customers”, stressed the manager.