Emirates to set up engine repair facility

Emirates airline Tuesday said it plans to construct a $120 million (Dh441 million) engine repair and overhaul facility in Dubai in line with its growing fleet. The carrier has signed a Letter of Intent with General Electric to oversee the design and construction of an in-house engine overhaul shop in order to make it "the most technologically-advanced engine overhaul shop in Asia", Emirates said in a statement. The companies aims to service over 300 engines annually in the new centre. It added that the move was necessitated by the growth of the Emirates fleet. "The subsequent number of operating engines has necessitated the need for an in-house engine shop in Dubai to provide the most cost-effective, efficient engine maintenance," Emirates said in a statement. It added that the shop's construction is expected to start by the first quarter of 2012 and be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2014. The MRO industry in the Middle East is expected to grow to $4.4 billion by 2019, according to data, owing to a surge in fleet size of the region's carriers. The engine shop will complement the present test cell facility in Dubai and will be constructed on a 90,000 square metre piece of land according to Emirates, with the capability to perform 300 engine repairs per annum for the GE90 and GP7000 engines fitted to the B777 and A380 aircraft. "The establishment of an engine shop reemphasises Emirates' commitment to providing the highest standard of in-house maintenance to its fleet, utilising best practices," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, said. From gulfnews .