United Airlines has announced an investment of $177m in its Houston hub, to build a new ground service equipment (GSE) maintenance facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, TX.
The new GSE maintenance facility, set to open in 2027, will support United’s fleet of more than 1,800 ground service vehicles and provide the airline’s maintenance team with modernised workspaces and improved infrastructure.
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This facility is expected to be twice the size of the current facility.
It will feature increased repair, shop, and storage space and shared spaces, supporting the local community and workforce with job creation.
The airline also announced the opening of a $16m technical operations training centre (TTC), which will support United’s plan to integrate hundreds of new planes into its fleet by 2032.
United airport operations vice president Phil Griffith said: “At United, we believe that investing in our people and our facilities is the key to maintaining our leadership in the aviation industry.
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By GlobalData“With these new facilities, 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.”
The 91,000ft² TTC facility includes training shops, simulators, and scenario-based engine maintenance training.
It features advanced training facilities, including sheet metal and composite training shops, desktop simulators for Boeing 737 and 787 troubleshooting, and specialised engine maintenance training.
Additionally, the new TTC includes a $6.3m Move Team Facility, specifically designed to centralise United’s Super Tug operations.
United’s continued investment in Houston follows the launch of the Terminal B renovation and expansion project, which will add 40 gates for larger aircraft and a spacious United ClubSM, the largest in the network, by 2026.
This project is part of United’s strategy to support its United Next plan, which includes introducing more than 500 new, narrow-body aircraft and creating thousands of unionised jobs by 2026.
In July 2024, United Airlines partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to equip a passenger jet with atmospheric testing equipment.
