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Project Overview
Southwest Airlines required a new maintenance facility capable of supporting larger aircraft while meeting strict airport constraints around height and construction activity. The challenge was balancing scale with constructability.
Through early coordination and engineered steel solutions, the team developed a long-span hangar with preassembled structural components and efficient installation methods. The result is a high-capacity facility that supports ongoing operations while reducing construction complexity.
VP Builder
Sure Steel, Inc.
Architect
Ghafari Associates, LLC
Construction Type
Hybrid Steel Buildings,
Heavy Structures
Location
Houston, TX
Industry
Hangars & Aviation,
Automotive & Transportation
Square Footage
143,804
Completed
2019
Building a business advantage
Superior Roofing
Industry-leading roofing systems deliver unmatched resistance to leaks and failures.
Reduced Waste
Precision manufacturing minimizes construction waste and improves jobsite efficiency.
Southwest Airlines Maintenance Hangar
Replacing capacity without slowing operations
At William P. Hobby International Airport in Houston, Southwest Airlines faced a familiar but complex challenge: replacing an aging maintenance facility while maintaining the pace of daily operations.
The existing hangar, in service since 1988, no longer aligned with the airline’s evolving fleet requirements or operational demands. The replacement needed to do more than match capacity. It had to expand it—without introducing risk to ongoing airport activity.
The result is a 143,804-square-foot maintenance hangar within a larger 240,000-square-foot complex, designed to support aircraft servicing at a significantly larger scale.
"This state-of-the-art hangar will support our Technical Operations Team's unwavering commitment to Safety and maintaining our fleet to the highest standards," Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO, said upon the complex’s opening.
McCarthy, the owner and managing firm, worked with Varco Pruden™ Builder Sure Steel, Inc. on the project, which was designed in partnership with the Varco Pruden Conventional Steel Services team.
The building has a 219-foot clear span from front to back and is more than 240 feet wide at the hangar doors. Due to height restrictions and potential disturbances to air traffic, the steel erector preassembled most of the widespan elements into large kits to reduce the time needed for in-air crane use.
Extraordinary execution was required with the roof panels, pre-rolled in continuous sheets, to install them in one piece. Some panels were up to 230 feet long and carefully moved into place without incurring any damage.
The hangar door opening used a two-span continuous truss frame to support the fabric hangar doors. The two spans are 279’-10”, the truss is 19’3” deep, and the transverse hangar trusses span 218’ by 10’ deep.
This aviation maintenance hangar was recognized as a Varco Pruden 2021 Hall of Fame winner in the Transportation category.
“This state-of-the-art hangar will support our Technical Operations Team's unwavering commitment to Safety and maintaining our fleet to the highest standards.”
Southwest Airlines Executive Chairman
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