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Firm gets big lift with new aviation invention

?An invention by a South Staffordshire family is taking the aviation world by storm - and has already been snapped up for a four-month trial by leading budget airline easyJet.

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?An invention by a South Staffordshire family is taking the aviation world by storm - and has already been snapped up for a four-month trial by leading budget airline easyJet.

Graham Corfield has invented a new design for portable boarding ramps for airports, replacing the existings stairs and hydraulic lifts and making it easier for disabled people to board planes.

Backed by his pilot son Adam and daughter Emily, who handles business development at his company ra'alloy, Mr Corfield is attracting interest from airports and airlines worldwide.

For the launch of the new ramp at RAF Cosford yesterday, guests flew in from Oman and Scandinavia.

"The amount of interest we've had from the industry is fantastic," said Mr Corfield, who lives in Codsall.

"We have been working on this since February last year. It's a real family business - we even came up with the name, Aviramp, over a pint at the pub."

The new ramp will undergo trials for easyJet atBristol Airport. Mr Corfield said: "Our core business is aluminium access ramps and we never say no to a challenge.

"We were asked if we could design a ramp for access to aircraft at remote stands, and we decided to go one step further and turn it into a portable jet bridge. "

The potential success of the new ramp could mean good news for a string of Wolverhampton companies, as well as for Mr Corfield's Ra'Alloy company based in Telford, which currently employs eight people.

He said: "We moved from Wolverhampton to Telford three years ago, so most of our suppliers are still in and around the city. If it takes off as we expect, it could mean hundreds of new jobs in the Midlands."

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