On the 15th of November, flydubai held a press conference at the Dubai Air Show, announcing that it is eyeing a purpose-built USD 190 million MRO facility in Dubai South formerly known as Dubai Al-Maktoum Airport by 2026.
Dubai Air Show signing
At the Dubai Air Show, the signing ceremony was presented by His Excellency Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South; Tahnoon Saif, CEO of MBRAH; and Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai with the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH).
The building of the site is slated for opening next year (2024) and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Flydubai commented on the announcement: “I am proud to announce the plans for flydubai’s state-of-the-art MRO facility in Dubai South.”
“This milestone reaffirms our commitment to operational excellence, right here in Dubai South’s dynamic ecosystem. This will bring flydubai greater control over its maintenance requirements as it continues to grow its fleet and capabilities with a firm focus on the future.”
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His Excellency Khalifa Al Zaffin, CEO of Dubai Aviation City Cooperation and Dubai South, stated with excitement: “flydubai’s new facility in Dubai South reflects our 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.”
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, commented on the airline’s move: “Dubai has emerged as a thriving aviation hub that fosters connectivity, innovation, growth and setting benchmarks for the global aviation industry.”
“The spirit of Dubai is in our DNA and we are proud to announce today the plans for our MRO facility which represents a new chapter in our journey.”
“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.”
Mick Hills, Chief Operating Officer at flydubai, commented: “When it is up and running in 2026, the MRO facility on Dubai South will significantly reduce operational costs.”
“Having our own in-country MRO facility will ensure a quicker turnaround of our fleet maintenance while adhering to the highest quality standards.”
“This increased level of control will result in reduced downtime as maintenance tasks can be efficiently planned and executed, minimizing any disruption to our flight schedules in the future and enhancing overall operational reliability.”
Evolution and growth
The airline has grown its in-house capabilities over its years of operations. In fact, in 2022, the airline received its CAR-145 Base Maintenance Approval from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
With the approval, the airline is able to perform C Checks and Entry-into-Service for its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX fleet. This will allow the airline to increase its operational efficiencies leading to money saved.
flydubai relies on a team of 455 skilled in-house engineers working in Line Maintenance, Technical Services, Materials, and Workshops.
These members are responsible for keeping FlyDubai’s fleet safe during its growth. The airline is well-positioned for the opening of the MRO facility in 2026.
The airline operates a fleet of 80 Boeing 737 aircraft, which are highly capable of flying short to medium-haul routes. Recently at the Dubai Air Show, the airline signed a deal with Boeing for 30 787-9s.
Conclusion
MBRAH is one of the global players in investment opportunities and is a free area for heavy weights in the aviation industry, from airlines to private jet companies, MROs, and flight training to gather traction and expand.
FlyDubai will strengthen itself in the region by venturing into the MRO discipline.
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