Emirates plans to invest $950 million to build a 1-million-sq-m engineering facility at the Dubai World Central site, adding another piece to the growing maintenance, repair, and overhaul complex at the emirate’s second airport. Designed to support the airline's fleet and operating requirements into the 2040s, the new facility could be large enough to offer spare capacity to other carriers.
"This significant investment signals our confidence in the future growth of Emirates and the aviation sector,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group. “The new facility will enable Emirates to be entirely self-sufficient when it comes to maintenance, repairs, overhaul, and all engineering requirements for our aircraft fleet.
“It gives us operational stability and flexibility, and quality assurance. With the projected growth of the region’s aviation sector, Emirates’ new engineering facility will also play a key role as a center of excellence, attracting the involvement of global players across the aviation supply chain. It’ll create thousands of skilled technical jobs and add value to Dubai’s economy."
Services offered will range from routine aircraft checks to bespoke paint jobs, light to heavy maintenance programs, engine repair and testing, to full cabin interior fit-outs and aircraft conversions.
According to Emirates, construction on the first phase of the project will begin in 2024 and conclude in 2027, with phase two to follow if the need for further capacity arises. Plans for minimizing the environmental impact of the new facility include the use of green building materials throughout the complex, the installation of solar panels on roofs across the entire campus, and recycling systems for oils and wastewater.
The first phase 1 will deliver eight maintenance hangars and one paint hangar, all capable of handling any size of commercial aircraft up to Code F (A380), an engine run-up facility, some 20 support workshops, storage facilities, and administration offices. Initially, the Dubai World Central facility will supplement the existing Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport.
French airports group ADP Ingénierie will serve as a consultant for the project.