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DUBAI—GE Aerospace is set to break ground on a $50 million On Wing Support (OWS) maintenance facility for CFM Leap-1 and GE9X engines at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub in Dubai South.
Construction work on the 120,000-ft.2 facility is due to start in December, with site handover from the builders expected in late 2026. The facility, which will be four times the size of the engine-maker’s current Dubai on-wing support site, will then undergo a three-month commissioning process before its opening, scheduled for early 2027.
GE’s investment in the new site comes amid significant growth in the Middle East-based fleets of Leap-1A powered Airbus A320neo and -1B powered Boeing 737 MAX.
It also comes in advance of the planned expansion of the locally based GE9X-powered 777X fleet. Although the first 777-9s are not due to debut in commercial service until early 2027, more than two-thirds of the 556 aircraft on order so far will be based in the Middle East.
The Dubai South facility will be one of five OWS sites around the world, joining an on-wing support network that includes Cincinnati, Doha, London and Seoul.
In readiness for the service entry of the GE9X—the largest turbofan yet certified for commercial operation—GE Aerospace has also expanded MRO facilities for the engine at other sites around the world. These include GE’s own facility in Wales, as well as those operated with Emirates Airline in Dubai, HAECO Engine Services in Hong Kong and with Singapore Airlines in Singapore.
“For the first time in ongoing support history, the site will include dedicated MRO training facilities to enhance the team's capabilities and support customer training,” GE9X General Manager Cristina Seda-Hoelle says.
GE says the site expansion will enable the development of larger overhaul operations, while “continuing to offer lighter quick turn, lease pool, and field services across all GE Aerospace, CFM International, and Engine Alliance engines.”
The Ohio-based company adds that the decision to build the facility at the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) in Dubai South “reflects the strategic importance of the UAE’s burgeoning aviation ecosystem. MBRAH will one day host what is planned to be world’s largest airport—Dubai World Central.”
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