In this hangar it will soon be possible to work on the largest aircraft

The new hangar belongs to the Fokker Services group. The company needs more space for the maintenance of large aircraft intended for transatlantic flights such as the Airbus 330. The current hangar dates from 1986 and is in fact too small for this. Either: the planes have become too big. In order to be able to work indoors on larger aircraft, a temporary solution has now been devised: a tent construction is now placed against the hall.

Grown out of the mantle
“Over the years we have literally outgrown our size,” says project manager Lion Boenders of Fokker Services. “The most modern hall to date is also 36 years old. It was intended for the completion of the Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 aircraft, so it is high time for a new hall.

The new hangar will be 27 meters high and will be nearly 90 meters long and 90 meters wide. In addition to the regular maintenance of aircraft such as the Boeing 737, Airbus 320 and Airbus 330, the huge space will soon also be used for the design and construction of luxury VIP aircraft.

Second room
According to Lion Boenders, sustainability is of paramount importance when constructing the new hall: “We opted for aluminum instead of steel for the construction. This saves almost a quarter less nitrogen emissions. The entire roof will be equipped with solar panels and the ground will be underfloor heated by two large heat pumps.

Construction work began in May this year. The first room should be ready in April 2023. And there are already plans for a second. According to Lion Boenders, the intention is for another similar maintenance hangar to be built within three to four years. “The fact that we can achieve this here in South West Brabant is fantastic. We can be really proud of that. »