A £7 million training centre has opened at Gatwick, bringing 130 jobs to the airport.

The offices were officially opened by Boeing and will be home to two subsidiary companies.

The Alteon centre will provide training for pilots, engineers and cabin crews from across the country and Europe.

The offices will also be used by Jeppesen UK, which supplies navigational, operational and flight planning and training tools.

Aircraft simulators are housed at the facility to help trainee pilots take off in their careers.

Sir Michael Jenkins, Boeing UK President, said: "Boeing and its subsidiary companies will continue to enhance the capabilities of the UK's aerospace and airline industries.

"The training centre will be the largest Boeing-owned premises in the UK and builds upon an annual £1.2 billion economic contribution that Boeing makes to Britain."

Pat Gaines, president of Alteon, a training firm, added: "Opening the Gatwick centre is part of the Alteon global strategy to provide a worldwide network of training centres.

"We are committed to providing customer-focused solutions and cost-effective quality training to support airline operators worldwide.

"We are investing in the training infrastructure so airlines can focus on their core business of safely carrying passengers to their destinations."

Pilots and cabin crew staff from across Europe had previously been flown to Seattle in the USA for training.

Alteon and Jeppesen are owned by Boeing and were previously based at headquarters in Sussex. Alteon was at Burgess Hill and Jeppesen at Three Bridges.

Both offices have about 50 employees while staffing levels are expected to increase by 30 per cent now the centre has opened. The move follows an increase in passenger numbers and flights at Gatwick over the past three years.

The Gatwick training centre is only the third to be opened by Alteon in the country, the others being in Luton and Manchester.

The company has training facilities across Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas.

Meanwhile, special parking privileges for MPs at airports including Gatwick will be scrapped.

Airports operator BAA has confirmed the permits for Parliamentarians would be withdrawn.

The perk was enjoyed by 847 peers, MPs and MEPs and is worth about £1,300 a year. The permits were provided for official Government business abroad but had become increasingly unpopular with other drivers.

BAA chairman Marcus Agius said: "A substantial number of the company's shareholders feel it is now time to discontinue the scheme."

The company said the concession will be closed to new entrants with immediate effect.