MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – On Wednesday morning, at Miami International Airport, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava celebrated a groundbreaking at the site of the new $50 million AAR maintenance hangar.
The private hangar has aircraft technicians and engineering staff performing maintenance services such as airframe repair, modifications, inspections, upgrades, refurbishments, and painting.
“Airplane safety has got to be number one, and we are expanding,” Levine Cava said.
According to Miami-Dade officials, $7 billion in capital improvements and $1.7 billion in maintenance upgrades are making projects possible.
Ralph Cutié, the Miami-Dade Aviation director, said the AAR maintenance hangar is an essential part of the services offered at MIA.
“They are what we call an MRO, a maintenance repair operator, and what they do is they repair and maintain aircraft. They repair landing gear, engines, airframes,” Cutié said. He added, “If you have more technicians working and you have a more efficient maintenance operation, then you’re going to have less breakdowns.”
Also at the groundbreaking ceremony was John M. Holmes. As chairman, president, and chief executive officer of AAR, he promised to hire locally.
“We need a source of incredible talent, and we have got a source of amazing talent here in Florida, and here in Miami in particular,” Holmes said.
Levine Cava said the expansion is one of many projects that aim to accommodate to future growth. She said the new project is a victory for the economy.
“They are bringing in 200 new jobs. It’s a 114,000-foot facility,” Levine Cava said. “It will be financed through the county and then it will be paid back over time through rent, so it’s a net gain for our economy, for our workers, [and] for airline safety.”
MIA IMPROVEMENTS
Aging areas will require being out of service for up to a year for renovations or repairs. It will be done in phases over the next five to seven years and includes 126 passenger loading bridges, 203 public bathrooms, and 616 conveyance units, including elevators, escalators, and moving walkways.
Related document: Capital improvements’ schedule (.pdf)