Bombardier is jetting to the rescue of Middle Eastern customers with grounded aircraft by ramping up the number of spare parts it has available in the region.
As part of a global expansion of its parts distribution network, the Canadian airframer has opened a larger depot in Dubai, increasing part numbers from 4,700 to almost 7,000.
"It's all about enhancing our parts support and moving it closer to our customers," says Diane de Souza, vice-president for parts services at Bombardier. "If you have an AOG [aircraft-on-ground] situation, it means the chances of having the right part available locally are much greater."
The Dubai depot, located in the city's Jebel Ali free trade zone, replaces a warehouse shared with ExecuJet's fixed-base operation at Dubai International airport. The company has also moved its support team from the FBO to new larger offices.
After centralising its parts distribution in Chicago in 2005, Bombardier has reversed that strategy, opening a new hub in Frankfurt earlier this year to serve Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Dubai will act as a "spoke" of Frankfurt, says de Souza. A second regional hub, in Singapore, will follow in 2014.
Source: Flight Daily News
