Dubai: Huge orders placed by Gulf carriers at the Dubai Airshow last year is driving international companies to set up permanent offices and facilities in the region.
A number of French aviation companies told Gulf News at the Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Middle East and Aircraft Interiors Middle East exhibition in Dubai on Wednesday that last years aircraft orders have forced them to rethink their regional presence.
“This is the intention because we have some sales campaigns open with many carriers in the Middle East especially the major ones operating the Airbus A380 and A350XWB [extra wide body],” Pierre Reville, Vice President Service Solutions at Airbus, told Gulf News.
Emirates is Airbus’ biggest customer for the superjumbo A380 with the airline having placed an order for 50 additional aircraft at the Dubai Airshow last year. The order will bring Emirates total fleet size to 140.
Airbus is set to finalise commercial agreements with regional airlines this week, which will be followed by the opening of a regionally-based MRO facility later this year, Reville said.
The majority of Airbus’ $2 million (Dh7.34 million) spare parts inventory is currently located in London and Kuala Lumpur, each around a seven-hour flight away.
“Going to the UAE is definitely a strategic move to be closer to the customers and bring more support,” Reville said.
Engines
Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have all placed large orders for the aircraft from the Airbus A350XWB family, which comes in three variants. The orders have reinforced the shift of the global aviation industry to the Gulf.
Hispano-Suiza, a subsidiary of the Safran group and a specialist in airborne power transmission and management, is also considering a move. Safran is a multinational aircraft and rocket engine company based out of France.
Hispano-Suiza manufacturers the power transmission in the Rolls Royce Trent engines that will be used in the A350XWB fleet, Xavier Maurer, Repair Station Manager at the company told Gulf News.
“We are looking if it is an opportunity to settle in Dubai or the UAE for the maintenance of our power transmissions,” he said.
Emirates alone placed an $8.4 billion order for Rolls-Royce Trent engines for its XWB fleet at last year’s Dubai Airshow.
Building on relationships
Sogerma, which has filled out at least 2,000 business class seats across Etihad’s fleet over the past 10 years, also wants to establish a local office.
Patrice Boursiquot, the company’s General Manager Asia-Pacific and acting Vice President Sales & Marketing, told Gulf News the company will establish a representative and support office in the region by the end of the year.
Sogerma is currently bidding for the contract to fill out the aircraft Etihad ordered at the Dubai Airshow and the opening of a representative and support office will provide the company with direct access to its customers, Boursiquot said.
