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 President and 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 its 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 its 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 open-bay hangar and support center were designed with flexible space capable of servicing multiple aircraft. The facility design was tailored to accommodate potential 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 with supporting Southwest’s operations that will support the strength and dedication of their growing Denver operation.