Emirates to build US$950 million engineering facility at Dubai World Central
The facility in Dubai World Central (DWC) will be the largest and most advanced in commercial aviation
Emirates has announced a massive investment of US$950 million into building a modern engineering facility at Dubai World Central (DWC). In a November 14 press release, Emirates said that the engineering complex will be spread more than 1 million square meters, making it the largest and most advanced of its kind to be operated by an airline.
The facility will be built to support the Emirates’ aircraft fleet and operating requirements over the next two decades. It will be a center with spare capacity to potentially offer to other airline operators.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group, said, “This significant investment signals our confidence in the future growth of Emirates and the aviation sector.”
The new facility will enable Emirates to be entirely self-sufficient when it comes to maintenance, repairs, overhaul (MRO) 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 centre 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.”
The engineering facility will be equipped to handle specialist aircraft engineering services, from routine aircraft checks to bespoke paint jobs, heavy maintenance programs, full cabin interior fit-outs and aircraft conversions.
“Construction work on Phase one is expected to begin in 2024 and be completed in 2027,” said Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Emirates Group Executive Vice President of Facilities, Projects Management & Group Procurement & Supply Chain. “Provisions have been made for further expansion, potentially doubling the capacity in Phase two, in line with Emirates’ fleet growth and operational requirements. The new Emirates Engineering complex will also incorporate sustainability into its design, including the use of green build materials throughout the complex; the installation of solar panels on roofs across the entire campus; and the set-up of recycling systems for oils and wastewater.”
Phase one of the project is set to deliver eight maintenance hangars and one paint hangar. All hangars will handle any size of commercial aircraft up to Code F (A380), an engine run-up facility, approximately twenty support workshops, storage space and administration offices.
Emirates has appointed ADP Ingénierie as project consultant. The existing Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport (DXB) will continue to support Emirates’ operations while work on the new facility is underway. The DWC complex will initially handle spillover work and heavy maintenance programs.
