Aviramp celebrates record year – and looks forward to bumper 2025

The Telford-based company – the global leader in manufacturing step-free, non-slip boarding ramps for aircraft – saw its annual sales top £9million last year and profitability strengthen significantly.

And Aviramp chief executive Graham Corfield says the next 12 months will be among the most exciting in the company’s history, with ambitious plans to drive further growth around the world.

“I am absolutely delighted with the success we enjoyed in 2024, but I’m just as determined to make sure that we build on it and do even better in the next 12 months,” said Graham.

“We are already investigating options for expansion in Telford as well as the possibility of opening a new facility in the United States.

“We have started work to introduce lean manufacturing principles which are already starting to pay dividends, with a 300 per cent increase in production in our early trials.

“We are also keen to forge new relationships with outside contractors – aluminium and steel fabricators and hydraulic and electrical wiring loom specialists in particular – to help us service the growth in sales both now and in the future.

“It’s wonderfully exciting and I think, judging from the conversations we are already having, that the next 12 months will eclipse even this year in terms of success.”

Highlights of 2024 had included providing Aviramps for use at Charles de Gaulle airport for the Paralympic Games, major deals with US operators Frontier and Delta, and continued success in the Australasian market.

“It was such a thrill to supply the ramps for the Paris games, and to be able to showcase to the world what a difference they make for any passenger with mobility issues. The unique design of our ramps means all passengers can board and disembark the same way, giving those with mobility issues real dignity and safety.

“There are now around 750 Aviramps in use around the world, with North America, Europe and Australasia all performing very strongly.

“Demand has been driven by our unique solar-powered range of ramps, which can run all day on a single charge in even the most challenging climates and make a really important contribution to the aviation industry’s ambition to be net zero in carbon by 2050.

“At a time when everyone is talking the UK down, it’s great to be proving people wrong by leading the world in what we do. I get a huge thrill every time I see an Aviramp in use anywhere in the world.”

The company is a current holder of the Queen’s Award for International Trade. Its boarding ramps and bridges are used when an aircraft is parked on a remote stand and offer a safe, dignified alternative to stairs and separate ambulifts for wheelchair users and those passengers with reduced mobility.

The low-angled ramps are fitted with a unique non-slip surface to improve safety for all passengers.