At the Dubai Airshow, Emirates announced it would be adding a massive new engineering facility at Dubai World Central Airport, also known as Al Maktoum International Airport.
The carrier is going to invest nearly $1 billion into developing a modern engineering complex that will span just over 1 million square yards. This facility intends to let Emirates become fully self-sufficient when it comes to maintenance, repairs, overhaul, and other various engineering tasks that come from operating a large fleet of aircraft. The facility will be able to handle work like routine aircraft checks, aircraft painting, engine repairs and testing, full cabin interior retrofits, and passenger-to-cargo aircraft conversions.
Construction
The development of the facility is being built across several phases with Phase 1 starting in 2024 and wrapping up in 2027. Phase 1 will include eight maintenance hangars, a paint hangar, an engine run-up facility, 20 support workshops, storage facilities, and administration offices. All hangars that will be built will be large enough to accommodate the massive Emirates fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft.
It is also expected that there will be enough capacity to not only service the entire Emirates fleet but also provide services to other airline operators. This would allow the facility to play a key role as a center of excellence in the region becoming a key location across the aviation supply chain.
The facility is being purpose-built for the growth of the airline over the next few decades. Phase 2 of construction will take into consideration forecasted growth for the future with the potential to double capacity.
Growth is so far forecasted to be promising. The airline had kicked off the airshow with an order of 95 additional widebody aircraft in addition to the 200 it already had on order. The airline has a massive order book filled with dozens of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and over 200 Boeing 777-X aircraft.
Existing Emirates Engineering operations at Dubai International Airport will continue for the next few years as the new facility is constructed and operations ramp up. The new facility at Dubai World Central will initially handle spillover work and heavy maintenance programs that generally require longer maintenance times.
Growth at Dubai World Central Airport
More engineering work will shift to the new facility at Dubai World Central as the airport expansion continues. The massive engineering facility is not the only major project underway at Dubai World Central. The airport is undergoing a comprehensive expansion plan that will include six runways and an entire terminal dedicated to Emirates. The airport expansion is expected to be completed in 2030 to make Al Maktoum International the world’s largest airport.
