Summary
- Emirates plans to build a $950 million maintenance mega-hub at Dubai World Central Airport, which will be the largest and most advanced of its kind operated by an airline.
- The facility will include nine hangars that can accommodate an Airbus A380, as well as support workshops, storage warehouses, administration buildings, and an engine run-up facility.
- The mega maintenance hub will not only be used by Emirates, but also designed with additional capacity to serve other airlines and create skilled technical jobs, adding value to Dubai’s economy.
Hot on the tail of its huge Boeing 777X order yesterday, Emirates has announced plans to build a $950 million maintenance mega-hub at Dubai World Central Airport (DWC). According to the carrier, the facility will be “the largest and most advanced of its kind to be operated by an airline” and will open in 2027.
As the home carrier of Dubai, Emirates always puts on a good show at the Dubai Airshow. This year is no different, as the airline headlined day one with a vast Boeing order and leading the UAE flypast. However, four more airshow days remain, so the news is still ongoing.
A mega facility
Emirates started the day two news cycle by announcing further plans for the Dubai World Central Airport, the facility on which the airshow takes place. Next year, construction will start on phase 1 of the project.
Photo: Emirates
Phase 1 will see nine hangars built, eight for maintenance and one for aircraft painting (which Emirates does a lot of). Each of these hangars will be able to accommodate an Airbus A380, which Emirates intends to fly into the 2040s. Support workshops, storage warehouses, administration buildings, and an engine run-up facility will be alongside this.
An airport for the future
While today it remains very much a secondary airport with just a handful of carriers, Dubai World Central Airport is positioned to become Dubai’s primary airport in the future. The plan is that one day, Emirates will move its entire operation to DWC.
Photo: Emirates
Two years ago, the airline’s President, Tim Clark, told Simple Flying it is a question of when, not if. While you can see the outline of future terminals on satellite imagery, work is far from complete.
The mega maintenance hub is not just going to be used by Emirates. The airline said it is being designed with additional capacity, which could serve other airlines.
Commenting on the 1 million square meter facility, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, remarked,
“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’ll create thousands of skilled technical jobs and add value to Dubai’s economy.”
What about the existing facilities?
As far as Emirates is concerned, maintenance business will continue as usual at Dubai International Airport (DXB), or at least for now. The airline remarked that the new DWC facility will initially handle “spillover” work from the main site, which could include projects where aircraft are on the ground for longer.
Photo: Emirates
Ultimately, however, it seems as though all work will eventually move across to DWC in line with the airline’s general transition. On the future expansion of the new facility, Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Emirates Group Executive Vice President of facilities, Projects Management, Group Procurement & Supply Chain, said,
“Construction work on Phase 1 is expected to begin in 2024 and be completed in 2027. Provisions have been made for further expansion, potentially doubling the capacity in Phase 2, in line with Emirates’ fleet growth and operational requirements.”
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