Aircraft

Boeing’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) joint venture in Shanghai has begun construction of its first hangar at the Chinese city’s Pudong International Airport.

The US airframe manufacturer says in a statement that a ceremony was held earlier this week to formally mark the construction of Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services’ first hangar, which will be able to accommodate two widebody aircraft.

It says the hangar is due to be fully operational in April next year and is part of the first phase of construction for the joint venture, which was established in 2006 and which is 60%-owned by Boeing, 15%-owned by Shanghai Airlines and 25%-owned by the Shanghai Airport Authority. It is Boeing’s first MRO venture outside the USA in which it has majority ownership.

“When the phase two facility is completed in 2010, Boeing Shanghai will have a four-bay hangar capable of housing four 747 or 777 widebody aircraft, providing aircraft modification, maintenance, repair and overhaul services to help build Shanghai Pudong International Airport into an international aviation hub,” says Boeing.

Source: flightglobal.com's premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news