So, United Airlines decided to splash out a cool $352 million on a brand-new technical operations center at Los Angeles International Airport. Sounds impressive, right? A state-of-the-art facility, designed to streamline maintenance and make those 787s purr like… well, like slightly less stressed-out 787s. But I’m starting to think they should have consulted a fortune teller before they broke ground.
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The project was, apparently, the airline’s attempt to finally untangle the mess left over from the 2010 merger with Continental. It seems that for years, the good folks at United’s LAX base had to navigate a veritable air traffic control system just to get from one maintenance hangar (formerly United) to the other (formerly Continental), collecting parts. This was not exactly a recipe for peak efficiency. You can’t blame those poor souls, though. Airports aren’t known for fast traffic flow, especially when they’re giving way to planes! This new facility opened in 2022 and houses more than 500 workers. These workers certainly had a busy life, given the amount of effort that went into building the project.
The new facility, complete with two bays that can each handle a widebody (or, as they say in the trade, a “big iron”), is certainly a step up from the old digs. The former Continental hangar, built back in the 60s, was more suitable for DC-6s than today’s behemoths. And United’s previous maintenance space? Let’s just say it involved doing a lot of maintenance outside. Now, they can house three narrowbodies, as they are called in the biz, like the 737 or the A320s. All this investment is, of course, intended to improve efficiency. But I can’t help but wonder if they accounted for the LAX commute!
Of course, as any seasoned aviation observer will tell you, the most expensive projects are often those that seem to go on forever. “We’ve seen it all before,” said Captain I.M. Efficient, a self-proclaimed expert in airline project management with the, uh, unfortunate title of Chief Delays Officer at the International Association of Airline Professionals. “Spend big, hope for the best, and pray you don’t accidentally obscure the tower’s view of the runway. It’s a delicate balance, really.”
United had to tweak its designs because the initial plans blocked the view of the flight control tower. You just know there were engineers who had to go back to the drawing board, scratching their heads. All those delays and changes are bound to increase costs! It is also mentioned that a part of the process was slowed by the Pandemic, which led to even more delays.
Then there’s the issue of the aircraft in storage during the pandemic. Storing and unstoring aircraft is like having a pet: it takes a lot of effort.
In addition to the new hangar, United boasts they have the facilities for any and all GSE (Ground Support Equipment). From the biggest tugs to the smallest buses, all is ready to go!
We reached out to another aviation guru, Dr. F.L. Aptlynamed, a renowned specialist in “Acquisition Inefficiencies and Parts Procurement” from the Institute of Aviation Economics. “When I heard the news, I immediately thought, ‘well, it looks like United is going to have to keep those parts moving by hook or by crook… I mean, crane,” she quipped. (Get it? Because of the overhead crane?). “You can build the fanciest hangar in the world,” she added, “but if the right widget is still in the wrong warehouse, you’re back to square one. Or in this case, back at the LAX.”
The story also mentions a significant ramp space to park up to 22 additional aircraft. This is more space than what was previously available. But don’t celebrate just yet! Parking space for an aircraft to get to the shop is no easy feat!
And here’s the kicker: even with all the bells and whistles, the new facility still has fewer parking spaces than the old ones. So, while United has invested in impressive infrastructure, I still have visions of maintenance crews zipping across LAX in golf carts, desperately searching for the elusive widget needed to get a Dreamliner back in the air. The irony, as they say, is thicker than jet fuel. So, keep an eye on the skies, folks. It’s all part of the show.
