Global architecture and engineering firm Ghafari Associates has completed the development of an aircraft maintenance hangar at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, US.
The facility is known as American Airlines’ Hangar 2 and is said to be the longest clear span, dual threshold airline hangar in the world.
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Ghafari Associates aviation practice senior vice-president Ted Oberlies said: “We were pleased to witness the opening of this state-of-the-art maintenance and engineering centre.
“It’s a true testament to American Airlines’ commitment to the future of its Chicago operations, employees, and customer base. We were honoured to lead the facility design, working closely with American and a great team of consultants and contractors.”
Ghafari provided architecture and engineering services for the development of the dual-entry facility spanning across 194,000ft².
The new hangar can house all variants of aircraft in American Airlines’ fleet, including narrow-body and wide-body types.
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By GlobalDataIt also includes ancillary support functions such as a general back shop, a component staging area, and storage spaces.
Dual access entry will enable airplanes to enter and exit from either side of the long dimension. Together with a larger capacity for aircraft hardstand positions, this new feature provides flexibility in servicing American’s fleet of aircraft.
Designed with more than 20,000 linear feet of underground utilities, the facility also offers point-of-use aircraft services for safer, more effective, and time-saving operations.
The hangar also features LED lighting and daylight harvesting to help reduce energy costs while meeting the Sustainable Airport Manual requirements.
Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) recently unveiled five shortlisted designs for the new O’Hare international terminal as part of its plans to appoint a lead architect for the airport’s $8.5bn expansion project.
The winning team will be tasked with the creation of designs for a new terminal, which will be among the largest in the US at 2.25 million square feet.
