The construction of a large hangar at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co Ltd (GAMECO) commenced Friday in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

The project aims to support Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport’s ambition to become one of the world’s major aviation hubs.

Based in Guangzhou Aerotropolis Development District, the hangar has a construction floor space of more than 98,500 square meters.

It will be able to accommodate six wide-body and five narrow-body aircraft and simultaneously provide maintenance services to wide-body A380 and B777-300er aircraft.

It is estimated to cost more than 886 million yuan ($130 million) to construct and is expected to be in operation in 2021.

Wang Changshun, chairman of China Southern Airlines, said the hangar, GAMECO’s third-phase project, will help ensure the flying safety of China Southern Airlines, the largest carrier by fleet in the country.

“Meanwhile GAMECO’s third phase will help lay a solid foundation for building Guangzhou into a major aircraft maintenance center in the world,” Wang said.

Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines now owns more than 700 aircraft and will increase its fleet to more than 1,000 by 2020.

Qiu Zhizhong, deputy director of Guangzhou Aerotropolis Development District, said GAMECO is one of the key projects in Guangzhou this year.

“GAMECO’s third phase will help meet growing demand for aircraft maintenance business spurred by the rapid development of aviation industry and fortify the southern metropolis’s status as one of the major aircraft maintenance centers around the world,” Qiu said.

Norbert Marx, general manager of GAMECO, said GAMECO’s third phase will help the company further raise its competitive capacity and strengthen its market position in years to come.

Founded in 1989, GAMECO is jointly owned by China Southern Airlines and Hong Kong’s Hutchison Whampoa.