AVIATION in the Vale appeared on the up after a Barry & District News reader captured one of the largest aircraft to land at St Athan on camera.

The two companies responsible for bringing this eclectic mix of large international airliners to St Athan were eCube Solutions, who scrap and part-out old and/or retired airliners, and Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickenson's Cardiff Aviation. They also do maintenance, post lease appraisals and modification work on airliners, plus operate an active airliner leasing operation.

Geoff Jones, of Oxford Street, Barry, caught the tail of the Dutch charter airline Arkefly Boeing 767-300 on its arrival at St Athan, in for attention with Cardiff Aviation, one of the largest aircraft ever to land at St Athan.

Geoff said: “The largest aircraft to land at St Athan is pictured with the tail of Southern Air Boeing 747-400F - freighter version of the famous 'Jumbo Jet'- that arrived from Cincinnatti, USA, on December 30 and is now being dismantled.

“The two Air India Airbus A330s also arrived before Christmas from Mumbai and are in storage pending their fate.”