Following the laying of the foundation stone in June 2023 by RUAG Real Estate Ltd, the new hangar was put into operation on schedule after a construction period of 14 months. The old Hangar 1, which had been in use for over 80 years, had reached the end of its service life.
The project was carried out in close cooperation with RUAG's Business Area Air and included the construction of a modern hangar for propeller aircraft and new office space to meet the operational requirements of the coming years.
Particularly noteworthy is the chosen support structure, which consists of prefabricated concrete elements for columns and beams. This solution proved to be the most economical option due to the geographical conditions, although comparable buildings in German-speaking Switzerland are often constructed using steel. Also noteworthy are the dimensions of the hardened hall gate, which has a span of 27.5 meters (clearance width 23 meters) and a clearance height of 6.65 meters.
RUAG Real Estate commissioned the local company Ennio Ferrari SA as total contractor, which in turn awarded the construction contracts mainly in the municipality of Riviera. The challenging collaboration with a large number of project participants was always constructive and characterized by mutual support.
RUAG will mainly maintain PC-6 and PC-7 aircraft in the new hangar with around 103 employees on site and will thus remain a major employer in the region.
For further information on RUAG, please contact Kirsten Hammerich, Senior Media Relations Manager, kirsten.hammerich@ruag.ch / +41 79 770 81 18.