United Airlines has opened a new widebody aircraft maintenance hangar at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Built with an investment of around $35m, the aircraft maintenance hangar will help the airline’s widebody aircraft, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350-XWB, which will begin flying in 2018.
The 90,000ft² hangar will also expand United Airlines’ maintenance capability for widebodies by 33% at the airport, where United has 700 employees dedicated to technical operations and maintenance.
United’s senior vice-president of technical operations Ken Burtt said: “This state-of-the-art hangar underscores United’s commitment to the city of Newark, the state of New Jersey and the region.
“The facility will be an asset to our operation, helping us improve the reliability of our aircraft, maintain the highest levels of safety, and provide a superior workplace for our employees.”
Port Authority deputy executive director Deb Gramiccioni said: “The port authority is especially pleased this widebody aircraft hangar is designed to serve larger aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the newer generation of planes for our passengers.”
United also constructed a 125,000ft² maintenance hangar at Washington Dulles International Airport in November 2013.
The construction of hangars at Newark and Washington are part of United’s strategy to increase its maintenance capabilities on the East Coast.
The airline has recently unveiled a new global services reception lobby at the New York area’s largest hub airport.