Building A Legacy: SFO Superbay Hangar 

Originally built in 1969, the SFO Superbay Hangar is one of four hangars in the United States that can fully house four-747 sized airplanes. The Superbay Hangar is a fully operational, 24/7 facility used by both American Airlines and United Airlines for essential aircraft maintenance and safety inspections. This hangar features four maintenance bays, six levels of office space, and a centrally located workshop. A comprehensive fire suppression system protects all areas of the building. The sixth floor, along with the exterior pumphouse, contains all the critical equipment supporting this system.  

In 2019, The Weitz Company executed a complete replacement of the fire suppression system at the Superbay Hangar, providing end-to-end delivery, which included programming, design, construction, and commissioning. The result was a modern, code-compliant fire protection system tailored to the unique operational demands of the facility.  

This project required airside access throughout the entirety of the build while Weitz was working on utilities in and outside the hangar. Planes occupied the space continually. By splitting the hangar into two halves we were able to continue work while maintaining storage space for other aircrafts. Significant coordination and security was essential to keep construction timely, on budget and without incident. This was all successfully completed at the end of September 2019.  

“The Superbay Hangar is a critical facility that has to remain fully operational every hour of every day. Our team approached this work with a deep respect for that responsibility. The success of this project reflects the discipline of our field crews, the trust of our partners, and the commitment to delivering solutions that support the long-term safety of the aviation community.”

Mike Grever, Director | The Weitz Company 

This work reflects our legacy of Aviation construction excellence and also demonstrates Weitz’s ability to execute high performance infrastructure upgrades within active airport environments. From large-scale aircraft maintenance facilities to specialized aviation support structures, our teams bring decades of experience, collaborative partnerships, and technical innovation to every phase of construction. This project underscores Weitz’s expertise in executing high-performance infrastructure upgrades and reinforces our reputation as a trusted partner for both new construction and complex system replacement projects.