Dubai South signs Phoenix Aviation wide-body MRO deal

Dubai, UAE - Dubai South has agreed to give Phoenix Aviation a new airside plot at Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH), where the company will develop a specialist centre for maintaining wide-body aircraft, modifying and completing their cabins, and converting them to carry cargo.

Dubai South, which describes itself as the biggest single urban master development built around aviation, logistics and real estate, said the centre answers rising demand for specialist aviation services. The company called it a centre of excellence for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work.

The deal was signed at the MRO Europe trade event. Dubai South’s Group CEO, Nabil Alkindi, and Phoenix Aviation’s President and CEO, Julian Ehrhard, were at the ceremony, joined by other senior executives from both sides.

The main building will be a 35,000-square-metre aircraft hangar sized for three wide-body aircraft, among them types such as the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350.

The site will also have an 18,000-square-metre delivery centre, used to hand over and store aircraft, plus workshops and stores totalling 15,000 square metres and offices covering 3,000 square metres. Completion is planned for Q1 2029.

Phoenix Aviation already operates an A380-compatible MRO hangar at MBRAH, and the new building will take its hangar count at the hub to two.

Dubai South said the expansion would strengthen its aviation cluster, giving airlines from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia access to more capacity and services.

Alkindi said: “This agreement advances our mandate to develop an integrated aviation ecosystem that attracts international investment and strengthens Dubai’s role in the global aerospace industry. Phoenix Aviation’s expansion reflects confidence in Dubai South’s long-term development plans and the offering at Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub. Our efforts remain aligned with our wise leadership’s vision to position Dubai as the aviation capital of the world.”

Gilles Negre, Founder and Chairman of Phoenix Aviation, said: “Our expansion at Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub is designed to address growing demand for wide-body aircraft services and bring together complementary capabilities in one location. With facilities planned around the latest aircraft technologies, specialised tooling and extensive logistics areas, our focus is on delivering quality, improving operational efficiency and reducing aircraft ground time. The development will enable us to serve a broader range of international airlines and provide space for aircraft manufacturers and specialist service providers.”

Elsewhere at MBRAH, flydubai’s $190 million maintenance centre, which covers 32,600 sq m, is due to open in 2027.