Etihad Airways Engineering is to expand the capacity of its 500,000sq m aircraft maintenance facility adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport, in collaboration with ASI (Aircraft Support Industries).

The company has expanded its total site area by adding 50,000sq m of incremental space to its facility. Etihad said the expansion was intended to “cater to the growing fleet of aircraft around the world and meet the demand for world-class aircraft MRO services”.

Etihad Airways Engineering is also building two new widebody hangars onsite. The MRO facility is the largest one of its kind in the Middle East and can currently accommodate around 40 widebody and narrowbody aircraft on its busiest days.

A new widebody bay (6D), large enough to take in an A380, will be added to Hangar 6 which can induct three A380s simultaneously at present. Another new hangar (Hangar 7) will be built with two bays.

Etihad Airways Engineering’s chief executive officer Abdul Khaliq Saeed said: “In line with the consistent growth of our comprehensive MRO and engineering capabilities and the recovery of the aviation industry, we are also growing our capacity significantly to serve a larger number of aircraft and customers from around the world. The demand for our MRO solutions is at an all-time high and we are committed to go the extra mile to serve our customers and exceed their expectations.”

Global recognition

Etihad Airways Engineering has been recognised with three industry honours at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2023. The event was held in Dubai on 28 February.

The company won the ‘MRO Service Provider of the Year (Commercial Airlines)’ award, and was recognised for “consistently delivering the highest level of service, reliability, and performance in this vital industry sector to their clients last year. The company met and exceeded its financial and operational targets in 2022 and enlarged its global customer footprint, despite the challenging market conditions.”

The leadership team of Etihad Airways Engineering was honoured with the ‘MRO Management Team of the Year’. The team was recognised for “performing exceptionally in terms of leadership, growth and delivering overall business strategy. The team steered the company towards strategic partnerships, diversifying its service portfolio, delivering hundreds of aircraft to customers across the world with the highest standards of quality and safety with resilience.”

Etihad Airways Engineering also won the ‘MRO Innovation of the Year’ award for building “hybrid and innovative maintenance equipment saving the company hundreds and thousands of dollars and productive man hours”.

Abdul Khaliq Saeed, Etihad Airways Engineering’s chief executive officer, said: “We strive to go that extra mile in exceeding our customers’ expectations. Our commitment to deliver the very best to our customers along with our ability to adjust our sails to the winds of change helped us navigate through rough waters and maintain our consistent performance and growth despite all odds.

“We feel honoured to be recognised by the aviation industry as a leading MRO service provider, a successful leadership team and a company driven by innovation and dedication. The hard work and professionalism of our staff, the support of our stakeholders, the confidence of our customers and the collaboration of our strategic partners are instrumental in our growth and success as one of the world’s leading MRO solutions companies.”