Flydubai is all set to fly in a new direction as it revealed its ambitious plans to for a purpose-build $190 million maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) facility in South Dubai. The construction of the new hangar and workshop will commence next year and is expected to conclude by the last quarter of 2026. With the new facility flydubai aims to gain control over its maintenance requirements as it continues to expand its fleet and bring down the operational cost to a considerable extent.
The facility will be built in Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) and hopes to enhance South Dubai’s MRO and overall aviation ecosystem along with significant contribution to the growth and sustainability.
Proud to announce the plans for new MRO facility, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman, flydubai reaffirmed his commitment to operational excellence in Dubai’s dynamic ecosystem.
Echoing his opinion, Khalifa Al Zaffin, chief executive, Dubai Aviation City Cooperation and Dubai South further affirmed his commitment to enhancing the ecosystem that contributes to the growth and sustainability of the aviation industry. “This partnership reaffirms Dubai’s position as a global aviation hub and reinforces our shared vision of providing world-class aviation services to our partners,” Al Zaffin added.
Hailing the spirit of Dubai, chief executive, flydubai, Ghaith Al Ghaith unveiled the plans for the new state-of-art MRO facility. Praising Dubai as a thriving aviation destination fostering connectivity, innovation, growth, Ghaith added: “Dubai has set a benchmark for the global aviation industry. At flydubai, we continue to invest in our people and technologies and build solid foundations to enable further growth as part of our role in supporting Dubai’s economic and aviation vision.”
“Having our own in-country MRO facility will ensure a quicker turnaround of our fleet maintenance while adhering to the highest quality standards,” added Mick Hills, chief operating officer, flydubai. “This increased level of control will result in reduced downtime as maintenance tasks can be efficiently planned and executed, minimising any disruption to our flight schedules in the future and enhancing overall operational reliability.”
flydubai has been expanding its in-house capabilities over the years and in 2022 received its CAR-145 Base Maintenance Approval from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). This has enabled the airline to perform C Checks and Entry-into-Service for its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft; bringing the airline added operational and cost efficiencies.
The airline has a strong team of 455 skilled engineers working in Line Maintenance, Technical Services, Materials and Workshops responsible for ensuring the airworthiness and safety of the fleet. Going ahead flydubai plans to recruit another 230 engineers in the next one year. This recruitment drive is well-timed to ensure that the airline is prepared in advance to meet the maintenance demands during the opening of new facility in 2026.
The airline will add widebody aircraft to its fleet for the first time with a firm order of 30 787-9 Dreamliners, enabling expanded connectivity and more seat-offerings to meet the growing demand on existing routes.
Flydubai operates as a standalone airline but codeshares with Emirates on some routes. Both the airlines overlap service at more than 30 destinations across Europe, Asia, and Africa. With the new 787s flydubai aims to replace Emirates in some markets based on the demand.
As both the airlines have a common base at DXB, flydubai’s maintenance and spare parts challenges will be reduced to a considerable extend.
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The airline also signed a multi-year services agreement to cover 222 LEAP-1B engines for the airline’s fleet of Boeing 737-8/-9 aircraft with the deal covering spare engines. The engines are set to power flydubai’s fleet of Boeing 737-8/-9, both in service and on order, marking a strategic move towards a more sustainable and efficient future.
