United Airlines (United) has reaffirmed its commitment to Houston by breaking ground on a new US$177 million ground service equipment (GSE) maintenance facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and opening a state-of-the-art Technical Operations Training Centre.
United is the largest airline in Houston, with over 14,000 employees and more than 500 daily departures, United continues to invest in infrastructure to enhance operations. Since 2021, the airline has spent more than US$32 billion globally, including nearly US$10 billion in employee pay increases.
The new 140,000 ft² GSE maintenance facility, set to open in 2027, will support United’s fleet of over 1,800 ground service vehicles. It will also provide the 130-member maintenance team with improved infrastructure and modern workspaces to enhance critical functions such as battery charging, metal fabrication, and electronic control monitoring.
United has also unveiled a US$16 million Technical Operations Training Centre (TTC) to support its fleet expansion plans, which include receiving hundreds of new aircraft by 2032. The 91,000 ft² facility features advanced training resources, including sheet metal and composite shops, desktop simulators and scenario-based engine maintenance training.
Additionally, the TTC will house a US$6.3 million ‘Move Team Facility’, designed to centralise United’s super tug operations. The IAH move team operates over 15 super tugs, efficiently relocating aircraft to support departures, remote parking, and maintenance operations.
These investments align with the airline’s ‘United Next strategy’, aimed at modernising the fleet, improving customer experience, reducing carbon emissions and creating thousands of high-quality unionised jobs by 2026.
