Ghafari Celebrates Opening of Southwest Airlines’ First Aircraft Maintenance Center at Denver International Airport

Global architecture and engineering firm Ghafari Associates (Ghafari) is excited to announce the completion of the Southwest Airlines Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at the Denver International Airport (DEN). The new facility was unveiled at a grand opening celebration on March 24, 2022, attended by over 300 people, including Southwest COO Mike Van de Ven, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, and Airport CEO Phillip Washington.

"The opening of this state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance facility marks a new chapter for Southwest Airlines and their future in Denver,” said Ted Oberlies, Senior Vice President of Ghafari’s Aviation Practice. “It’s a true testament to Southwest’s commitment to the future of their Denver-based operations, employees, and customers. We were honored to lead the facility design, working closely with Southwest and Jviation, and a great consultant and contracting team. Special thanks go to Kimley-Horn, Henderson Rogers, 4b Technology, Swinerton Construction, as well as Denver International Airport (DEN) and the City of Denver for their support.”

Ghafari provided architecture and engineering services for the development of the 130,000 SF aircraft maintenance operation as well as its support facilities. Based on Southwest’s operational needs, the firm designed an open-bay hangar and support center with flexible space capable of servicing multiple aircraft. The team also tailored the facility design to accommodate future expansion and further support Southwest and DEN’s master plan.

The new technical operations center can house up to three Boeing 737 aircraft inside with an apron area for an additional eight outside. The facility was designed to support variable technical operations and network fleet management.

Denver International Airport is Southwest’s busiest airport in terms of daily departures in its network. This nearly $100 million facility is another step forward in implementing Southwest’s next-generation operations that will support the strength and dedication of their growing Denver operation.

To view photos and video of the new facility, visit the Southwest Airlines Newsroom at swamedia.com/DenverHangar.