Livewel Aviation Services will invest $80 million in a 23,960 square metre maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility within Dubai World Central Aviation City’s area, to become operational by 2009.
“India’s expertise in the $41 billion global MRO market is highly respected worldwide and our agreement with Livewel will bring in the right resources, and personnel to this region,” said Abdulla Al Qurashi, CEO, DWC Aviation City.
“With the Middle East MRO market growing at eight per cent annually over the next five years, DWC Aviation City has been launched at an appropriate time as demand is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate. With newly placed airline orders every year the region’s aviation services industry is taking off to a good start.”
DWC Aviation City will be the region’s premier centre of excellence for aviation manufacturing, MRO, aviation support services and consultancy, research and development, training, aviation products and parts and high tech industries.
Livewel’s facilities will carry out aircraft heavy maintenance for wide and narrow bodied type of aircrafts. The MRO will employ approximately 500 aviation professionals during the first year of operations and will cater to customer airlines within Middle East, India and Europe.
“The MRO will focus on cabin interior refurbishment, aircraft painting, meeting international aviation certification standards,” said MF Daver, chairman and managing director, Livewel Group. “The MRO facility will be a modern state of the art two bay wide bodied aircraft hangar large enough to accommodate the A380.”
Al Maktoum International Airport goes live with initial operations by end 2008 and has been designed to handle in excess of 120 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo annually. Infrastructure costs for Dubai World Central currently stand at Dhs120 billion ($33 billion).