Qatar Airways celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art engine facility as part of its vision to streamline the cost of its technical maintenance operations by more than $2.2 million per year, further supporting the airline’s growth despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Located in the Qatar Airways Technical Maintenance complex, the new 9,000 sq. ft. engine facility was officially opened by the Minister of Transport and Communications His Excellency Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti, in the presence of the President of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Nasser Turki Al Subaey, and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, along with other senior officials and VIPs.
Qatar said it estimated the new facility would enable the airline to improve workflow by over 1,800 man hours per month, or 23,400 man hours per year, by centralising its engine production and engine parts storage processes, increasing the number of its engine production lines from four to eight covering a variety of aircraft engine types.
In addition to this, the ultra-modern facility is able to house a total of 80 engines of varying sizes in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, with two specialist ‘Dust Control’ rooms to limit the presence of dust and harmful particles, as well as a dedicated Supply Chain area to minimise waiting times for the ordering and transportation of spare parts.
Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti, said: “This achievement will boost the ongoing growth of the aviation industry in Qatar and contribute to localising that major industry.
“This event also keeps pace with the remarkable development in transportation sector in the country in light of the upsurge in development under the country’s wise leadership.”