Emirates Engineering has announced plans to build a massive new engineering facility in partnership with China Railway Construction Corporation, in a project expected to become one of the world’s largest aviation engineering complexes.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Emirates Airline Deputy President and CEO Adel Al Redha said the upcoming facility would be nearly twice the size of the airline’s existing engineering operations.
The new complex will be capable of accommodating 28 wide-body aircraft simultaneously for maintenance, refurbishment and conversion work, including transforming passenger aircraft into freighters and vice versa.
“We’ll be able to do two or three aircraft painting widebody simultaneously. So it will be the centre of attraction, the centre of excellence,” Al Redha said.
Emirates said it plans to invest more than $5 billion in the project, which will cover approximately 1 million square metres. The facility will be located at Al Maktoum International Airport and is expected to be completed between 2030 and mid-2030.
The partnership agreement was signed on Monday at the Dubai South headquarters near DWC by Emirates Chairman Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and CRCC Chairman Dai Hegen.
The Beijing-based construction giant, formerly ranked as the world’s second-largest construction company, will support the development and delivery of the large-scale engineering facility.