AAR CORP. has finished building a 114,000-square-foot aircraft maintenance hangar at Miami International Airport, a $50 million expansion that adds three heavy maintenance lines for narrowbody jets and roughly 200 new local jobs. The facility is expected to induct its first aircraft in autumn, and it grew out of a public-private deal years in the making between the aviation company and Miami-Dade County.
As reported by WPLG Local 10, the expansion marks a significant growth spurt for AAR’s footprint at MIA. According to a press release from AAR CORP., the new hangar adds three heavy maintenance lines dedicated to narrowbody commercial aircraft, with the first aircraft induction expected this autumn.
A United Airlines Contract Drives the Buildout
The commercial engine behind the new hangar is a long-term agreement with United Airlines. Reporting by Aviation Week detailed that the Miami expansion supports an extended contract running through 2030, under which AAR commits to providing United with a minimum of ten lines of heavy maintenance support across its Miami and Rockford, Illinois facilities, with the work focused heavily on United’s Boeing 737 fleet.
The project’s roots trace back to Miami-Dade County government action. Public legislative records from the county show commissioners approved a restated lease in July 2023 allowing AAR Aircraft Services, Inc. to construct the hangar, with the county agreeing to reimburse construction costs over time through the Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s Tenant Airport Construction Reimbursable program. Ownership of the completed facility is conveyed directly to the county once construction wraps up. AAR broke ground on the adjacent site in March 2024, and the same announcement noted that the new hangar increases AAR’s maintenance capacity at MIA by 33% beyond its pre-existing 200,000-square-foot, nine-bay hangar footprint.
200 New Jobs and a Local Hiring Push
A press release from the Office of U.S. Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart noted that AAR already employs over 1,300 workers across Florida and is filling the 200 new MIA positions through internal workforce pipelines along with partnerships with local educational institutions, part of an effort to build a longer-term aviation mechanic pipeline in the region. Corporate filings and releases describe AAR CORP. as headquartered in Wood Dale, Illinois, and operating globally as North America’s largest independent MRO provider, with the company reporting record sales of $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2025 and more than 7,000 employees across its parts, repair, software and government service divisions…