(Image: Supplied)
A company responsible for maintaining the automatic doors used by thousands of passengers is marking its long-standing relationship with Teesside Airport by flying its workforce abroad from the transport hub it has supported.
Azul Door Services, based in Teesside, has worked with the airport for eight years, replacing all terminal automatic doors and playing a key role in the 2021 terminal refit.
The family-run business, founded by Darren and Vicki Hewitt, has a tradition of treating its staff to an all-expenses-paid long weekend abroad each year to thank them for their hard work and commitment.
Vicki Hewitt said: "We have always taken our engineers away for an all expenses paid weekend since we started as a way of thanking them for all their hard work and commitment.
"For the last four years we've flown to Gibraltar from Manchester, but this year the flight times made it possible to finally fly all the staff out of the airport we are all so proud to support."
This summer, the eight-strong team flew from Teesside Airport to Alicante.
Ms Hewitt said: "The airport project remains one of our favourites, and it's something we speak about frequently.
"We are very proud of our work here.
"It's good to see the doors in good working order – and use them as thousands of others do."
Phil Forster, managing director of Teesside Airport, said: "The Azul team know our doors better than anyone, so it’s a pleasure to see them passing through those same doors as passengers.
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"They’ve helped keep the gateway to Teesside Airport open for thousands of people, and now the door is open for them to enjoy a well-earned few days in the Spanish sunshine.
"We’re proud to work with such a great local business and wish them a fantastic trip."
Teesside’s summer flight programme continues until October, with flights to Malaga, Corfu, Alicante, Majorca, Faro, Amsterdam, Jersey and Guernsey.