Qatar Airways has opened a 9,000-ft.² technical engine facility in Doha that it says will boost cost efficiencies and workflow.

At the April 7 unveiling of the new site, the flag-carrier said it was part of its vision to streamline the cost of its maintenance operations by more than $2.2 million per year. This will support the airline’s growth, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Located within the Qatar Airways Technical Maintenance complex, the engine facility will enable the airline to improve workflow by over 1,800 man hrs. per month, or 23,400 man hrs. per year. This will be achieved by centralizing engine production and engine parts storage processes while increasing the number of its engine production lines from four to eight, covering a variety of aircraft engine types. 

“The continuous improvement and expansion of our technical maintenance facilities is a key element in supporting the airline’s ongoing efforts to rebuild our global network to more than 140 destinations by the summer peak season,” Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said.

The facility has the capacity to house a total of 80 engines of varying sizes in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Two specialist “dust control” rooms limit the presence of dust and harmful particles. There is also a dedicated supply chain area that has healthy stocks of engine parts and equipment, reducing the airline’s reliance on external suppliers and supporting its reliability, while minimizing waiting times for the ordering and transportation of spare parts. 

“With the new engine facility, we have not only created one of the most technologically advanced engine assembly and disassembly facilities available within the commercial aviation industry to date, but also doubled our engine production capabilities,” Al Baker added. 

Qatar’s transport minister Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti said the new facility would “boost the ongoing growth of the aviation industry in Qatar and contribute to localizing that major industry.”