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.
AAR credited Minneapolis-based contractor Ryan Companies and program management firm HPM as key partners in delivering the project, with engineering firm CHA Consulting supplying custom fire protection systems for the structure.
Part of a Bigger Boom at MIA
The hangar expansion lands amid record growth at Miami International Airport itself. Official statistics published by the airport show it generated a record $212 billion in statewide business revenue in 2025, a 17% year-over-year jump, while supporting 945,682 jobs across Florida. A separate press release from the airport reported that MIA processed 55.3 million passengers and nearly 3.5 million tons of freight in 2025, making it the eighth-busiest passenger airport and the busiest cargo airport in the country, ranking third globally in total freight behind only Hong Kong and Shanghai.
That surging traffic is fueling demand for maintenance capacity like AAR's new hangar. MIA is currently in the midst of a $14 billion capital improvement program aimed at modernizing terminals, expanding cargo space and upgrading airfield infrastructure to keep pace with sustained passenger and cargo growth, according to the airport's own announcements. Whether local technical school partnerships can keep up with AAR's hiring needs as the new maintenance lines start inducting aircraft this autumn remains an open question for the months ahead.
