United Airlines begins construction of a new $315 million maintenance center in Orlando
United Airlines has begun the construction of a maintenance technical complex at Orlando International Airport (MCO), a $315 million project that, according to the airline and local authorities, will drive the region's economic development and strengthen the company's operations in Florida.
The new complex will cover an area of 32,900 square meters (354,400 square feet) and will include two hangars, warehouses, workshops, offices, work areas, and staff parking. According to the presented plans, the space will have the capacity to simultaneously accommodate up to six narrow-body aircraft or a combination of one wide-body aircraft and three narrow-body aircraft.
The construction will be located on the west side of the airport, on Tradeport Drive, where United currently operates one of its two hangars in Orlando. Once completed, the new complex will bring together more than 1,000 maintenance workers in a single campus, replacing the scattered facilities the company currently uses. During the construction, the airline will maintain its existing operations. After the move, the current warehouse will be vacated, and a hangar dating back to 1954 will be demolished.
“Modernizing our presence at Orlando International Airport will help support the needs of our growth strategy, as well as bringing our maintenance team together in one place,” said Kirk Limacher, Senior Vice President of Planning and Strategy for United’s Technical Operations.
Kevin J. Thibault, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) —the entity that manages the airport— noted that “the new technical complex represents a transformative investment in the region, and enables development land with direct access to the runway and the airside.”
According to GOAA, the availability of such land is limited and highly valuable for the future aviation development of the airport. MCO currently handles about 58 million passengers annually and has three terminals (A, B, and C), in addition to an intermodal station with high-speed rail service.
United Airlines operates more than 40 daily flights from Orlando Airport and has the largest mainline aircraft fleet in the world, as the company highlights.
Tim Weisheyer, Chairman of the GOAA Board of Directors, stated that the project aligns with the airport authority's strategic plan, which aims to “promote a culture of multi-sector innovation.”
United's Technical Operations Complex in Orlando is expected to open by the end of 2027. According to Tim Giuliani, President and CEO of Orlando Economic Partnership, this expansion confirms that “Orlando’s aviation industry is built on a strong foundation of talent, strategic location, and world-class infrastructure.”
The initiative was formalized as part of an agreement between United Airlines and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and is part of the growth of airport activity in central Florida, one of the regions with the highest air traffic in the United States.
AUTOR
Contando la aviación desde marzo del año 2000. Fundador y Managing Editor de Aviacionline.
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