AIRLINE EXPANDS IN TEXAS
United Airlines has plans to grow its base at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. The company has said it will move forward with the construction of a new 140,000-sq.-ft Ground Service Equipment (GSE) Maintenance Facility and a Technical Operations Training Center at the airport. This $177 million GSE facility investment will double United Airlines’ current capacity for Ground Fleet Support once completed in 2027. Meanwhile, the company’s new 91,000-sq.-ft. Technical Operations Training Center will provide hands-on training across a range of roles within aircraft systems and technologies. The center will include sheet metal and composite training shops, desktop simulators, scenario-based training for engine diagnostics and inspections and a $6.3 million Move Team Facility to oversee Super Tug operations on the airfield. These investments reflect United’s strategy to modernize its operations with a goal of increasing sustainability.
Photo courtesy of LG Innotek.
COMMITMENTS KEPT IN GUMI CITY
Last week, LG Innotek announced a $408 million expansion investment at its Gumi City, South Korea site. Project plans in the North Gyeongsang Province include expansion of flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) substrates production lines and new facilities for high-value camera modules. As a packaging technology FC-BGA is used to connect high-performance semiconductor chips to substrates used in servers, PCs and artificial intelligence chips. The move aims to increase LG Innotek’s customer reach while enhancing competitiveness for its substrate and optical solution products. Expansion work at the Gumi site will play a key role in the company’s dual production strategy, as LG Innotek’s Vietnam facility will focus on manufacturing its legacy model products. “LG Innotek will foster FC-BGA as the future growth driver, leveraging our globally renowned competence in the package substrate business,” said LG Innotek Head of Substrate & Material Business Unit Kildong Son. “We will innovate customer experience and raise customer values by expanding our business from mobile devices to servers, computers, network devices, digital TVs and cars.” Construction is set to begin in April 2025 and is expected to be complete by December 2026.
Photo courtesy of Skoda Auto Volkswagen
INDIA’S AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR KEEPS GROWING
In order to boost India’s position as a leading automotive hub and strengthen local manufacturing, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has announced an expansion of its Chakan plant, located in the western state of Maharashtra. This month the company announced that its Chakan plant surpassed production of 500,000 engines. “This milestone highlights our commitment to localization and innovation in powertrain manufacturing. Since 2014, we have built a strong foundation, evolving to meet market needs with world-class engines,” said Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Managing Director and CEO Piyush Arora. “The high-degree of localization in our made-in-India engines showcases the Group’s focus on domestic sourcing and contribution to strengthen the Indian automotive manufacturing and supply ecosystem. We will continue to invest in expanding our capabilities and strengthening India’s position as a hub for world-class automotive manufacturing.” In doing so, the company will invest $189 million to grow to an estimated 2 million sq. ft. by 2026. The project will allow Skoda Volkswagen to manufacture Battery Electric Vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles while increasing focus on sustainable mobility. The project will create 1,000 new direct and indirect jobs in the region.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
