Airbus Material and Logistics Centre in the Middle East has been officially opened at the Dubai Airport Free Zone in the United Arab Emirates in a ceremony with his Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO.



The opening of the Materials and Logistics Centre gives Airbus greater proximity to valuable customers, and facilitates a quicker and more reactive response to their needs. It also reduces the time and cost in transporting spares. The efficiency gains and economic benefit of the centre are part and parcel of Airbus' commitment to eco-efficiency, to help the aviation sector prosper by adding value with less environmental impact.



"With predicted passenger traffic growth of over six per cent and cargo of five per cent in the next 20 years, the Middle East will undergo one of the biggest aviation growth rates of anywhere in the world, so a world class logistics centre in the region is essential", said Airbus President and CEO, Tom Enders.



Dubai has one of the world's most modern and fastest-growing airports, serving more than 120 airlines flying to more than 205 destinations worldwide, and hence an ideal location for this type of centre.



The Material and Logistics Centre is located next to Dubai International Airport and covers over 3,700 square metres of storage space and office facilities ensuring optimised logistics and efficiency. The 24 hour a day centre will stock more than 5,000 different parts with around 43,000 items in at any one time, offering customer support and aircraft spares distribution to regional and worldwide destinations 24 hours a day.



The Centre includes an avionics and electronics repair station and hosts a vendor village providing state of the art business centre services as well as office and storage facilities for original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) to enable commercial and technical support with optimised delivery lead times.



The facility is fully air conditioned and humidity controlled and is an integrated part of the Airbus Quality System, with approvals from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the German Aviation Authority (LBA).



Airbus is an EADS company.