United Breaks Ground on IAH Maintenance Facility

DALLAS — United Airlines (UA) broke ground on a 140,000-square-foot Ground Service Equipment (GSE) Maintenance Facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). UA is the largest airline at IAH, counting 14,000+ employees and 500+ daily departures. 

The GSE will support 1,800+ UA ground service vehicles and give the 130 employees “more resources to perform critical tasks like charging batteries, fabricating metal, and monitoring electronic controls with improved infrastructure and modernized workspaces.” UA expects the new US$177 million GSE maintenance facility to open in 2027. 

The new GSE maintenance facility will provide the following space improvements:

• A 25% increase in repair space
• A 60% increase in shop space
• An 80% increase in storage capacity
• A 50% increase in shared spaces

Additionally, the airline says a US$16 million Tech Ops Training Center (TTC) will support its “plan to take delivery of  hundreds of new planes by 2032.” The airline plans to add 500 new, narrow-body aircraft to its fleet, equaling a nearly 30% increase in seats per domestic departure.

The 91,000-square-foot TTC includes “sheet metal and composite training shops, desktop simulators, and scenario-based engine maintenance and inspection training.”

Comments from United Officials

"At United, we believe that investing in our people and our facilities is the key to maintaining our leadership in the aviation industry," said Vice President of Airport Operations, Phil Griffith. 

"With the… Ground Service Equipment Maintenance Facility and the Technical Operations Training Center, we are enhancing our ability to maintain a world-class fleet while empowering our employees with cutting-edge tools and training. This investment reflects our long-term vision for Houston as a critical hub for United's operations and our commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and growth."

The new TTC will also house a US$6.3 million Move Team Facility to centralize the carrier’s Super Tug operations. UA's IAH Move Team manages “over 15 Super Tugs across the airfield.” 

"By opening our Tech Ops Training Center, we are setting a new industry standard for real world and specialized training opportunities for United technicians," said Maria Deacon, Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at United. 

"We're also extremely pleased to break ground on a new GSE maintenance facility which will revolutionize our capacity to maintain our fleet of ground service equipment for decades to come."

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