The construction of the largest aircraft maintenance base in Southwest China started in Kunming, Yunnan province, on Thursday.

Once completed in 2028, the first phase of the base at Kunming Changshui International Airport will feature a maintenance hangar capable of simultaneously accommodating 10 narrow-body aircraft for regular inspections.

Upon operation, the facility will handle maintenance tasks for mainstream series aircraft such as B737s and A320s, as well as the replacement of engines, landing gears, and auxiliary power units.

Built by China Railway Construction Engineering Group, the hangar spans 260 meters with a total area of nearly 100,000 square meters and an investment of over 1.5 billion yuan ($212 million).

The project will provide one-stop services, including aircraft disassembly, modification, and accessory maintenance, supported by 12 standalone projects such as the construction of a comprehensive maintenance workshop, an aircraft parts warehouse, and a chemical products warehouse.

"In the early days, we did not have the conditions for independent domestic research and development in the field of aviation engines. The entire process of production, manufacturing, and maintenance was provided by foreign original equipment manufacturers. Sometimes, the maintenance strategies of foreign manufacturers might not be reasonable, with inefficient tools and poor accessibility," Yang Laihao, an expert from Xi'an Jiaotong University's High-End Intelligent Equipment Research Institute, said.

In recent years, China has been making continuous efforts in aircraft manufacturing, moving from reliance on imports to independent research and development. From the production of aircraft body structure materials to the core components of engines, a series of breakthrough achievements have laid a solid foundation for the rapid development of China's aviation industry, Yang said.

He said that previously, the engine had to be taken apart and sent to a repair shop for inspection, which meant returning to the original equipment manufacturer abroad or sending it to some fixed major repair bases in the local area. This was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, with very high costs and significant economic losses. Now, the plan is to promote in-situ maintenance.

Chen Yijun contributed to this story.