United Airlines, in partnership with the City of Houston and the Houston Airport System, broke ground Oct. 25, 2016, on the airline’s new United Technical Operations Center (UTOC) at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

The project, which is the next phase of United’s ongoing expansion of facilities at its Houston hub, will add approximately 200,000 square feet of additional hangar capacity for maintaining widebody aircraft, in addition to a new warehouse distribution center, technical services building and administrative offices.

“Once again, our strong partnership with United Airlines brings us to the beginning of another important project here at George Bush Intercontinental Airport,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “From work to build not one, but two new terminals, to now this new facility, United and the City of Houston prove that public-private partnerships benefit everyone involved. United recognizes the fact that Houston is a tremendous place to do business and they understand that this community embraces them and wants to see them succeed.”

Once completed, the $162 million facility will accommodate widebody aircraft, including Boeing 767s, 777s, 787s and Airbus A350s, and provide an improved work environment with better ergonomics, safety and efficiency for United’s maintenance technicians and support personnel.

“The partnership we’ve established with United is essential to the Houston Airport System living up to its mission statement:  to connect the people, businesses, cultures and economies of the world to Houston,” said Houston Aviation Director Mario Diaz. “The fleet of Boeing 777s to be maintained in these new facilities will substantially increase the lift, and significantly extend the range of service to every part of the globe from Houston, bringing additional and very much appreciated service to the people of Houston.”

The new UTOC, which is expected to be completed in late 2018, will consolidate United’s Houston maintenance facilities, placing engineers in the hangars adjacent to technicians and aircraft for optimal efficiency. In addition, the expanded facilities will generate approximately 200 new jobs.

“With flights from Houston to destinations around the globe, this new facility and the employees who work here will provide critical support to our worldwide operations,” said Greg Hart, United’s, executive vice president and chief operations officer. “This significant investment in our Houston facilities will enable us to support more aircraft than ever before in Houston and allow us to return them to serving our customers more quickly, while providing a workplace that our people can take pride in.”