Emirates airline has broken ground on a $5.1 billion engineering complex at Dubai South that it says will become the world’s largest and most advanced aviation maintenance plant. It comes as the expansion around Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai is being accelerated.
The Dubai South site will span 1.1 million square metres and feature the world’s largest free-span aircraft hangar and biggest dedicated landing-gear workshop, Emirates said on Monday.
The project is expected to be completed by the middle of 2030 and will initially support heavy maintenance operations and overflow projects from Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
The hangar complex will be capable of servicing 28 wide-body aircraft simultaneously and feature two aircraft paint hangars designed to handle Emirates’ fleet as well as narrow-body aircraft.
The development forms part of the broader expansion around Al Maktoum International Airport, which Dubai plans to turn into the world’s largest aviation hub. Last year, Dubai approved a $35 billion expansion of the airport, which is expected to handle up to 260 million passengers annually as a result.
Dubai’s aviation sector has continued to expand despite regional disruption earlier this year, with Dubai Airports recently saying travel demand remained robust after UAE airspace restrictions were lifted following the regional conflict.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of the airline and Emirates Group, Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, and Dai Hegen, chairman of China Railway Construction Corporation.
“Today’s ground-breaking for the $5.1 billion engineering facility is a strategic step forward in Dubai’s future-focused aviation ambitions,” Sheikh Ahmed said.
“The new facility strengthens Emirates Engineering’s vertical integration strategy by bringing more skills, infrastructure, parts production and specialist capabilities under one roof.”
Among the features will be 77,000 sq m of dedicated workshop space for repairs and maintenance, 380,000 sq m of storage and logistics capacity, as well as a new administrative building and training facilities for Emirates Engineering staff.
The airline said the complex would target LEED Platinum sustainability certification, with solar panels to be installed across the site as part of broader environmental initiatives.
The project will be delivered by China Railway Construction Corporation, while Artelia has been appointed project consultant.
