Bombardier will open a new service centre for business aircraft at the Abu Dhabi International airport (AUH) by 2025.
On Tuesday, Abu Dhabi Airports announced the official ground-breaking of the centre which will have the capacity to fit up to four Global 7500 aircraft. The facility will also be able to service the new Bombardier flagship, the Global 8000, when it enters service in 2025. The facility will provides maintenance solution for customers of Bombardier’s Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft families.
Bombardier’s new Abu Dhabi Service Centre will feature a hangar, comprehensive parts depot and a complete suite of maintenance services, including scheduled and unscheduled heavy maintenance, aircraft modifications, paint modification, aircraft on ground (AOG) capabilities, and aircraft parking services, according to UAE news agency WAM.
The development of the new Bombardier MRO at AUH will be Bombardier’s first full-service facility in the UAE.
At full capacity, the new OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) operated service facility will also add more than 100 aerospace jobs.
Once fully operational, the new facility is expected to help Bombardier grow its aftermarket revenues beyond 2025.
“The Middle East is an important market for Bombardier with close to 150 aircraft, and we are pleased to be establishing a highly efficient facility in the UAE for our customers in the market – and for those visiting from around the world,” said Eric Martel, president and chief executive officer at Bombardier. “Abu Dhabi is a dynamic financial hub for business and commerce in the UAE, and this service facility will provide significant benefits, quick aircraft turnarounds, and OEM peace of mind to our growing customer base. We are also thrilled to be providing new, high-paying aerospace jobs in the community.”
Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, managing director and chief executive officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, added, “Located at Abu Dhabi International Airport, one of the fastest growing airports in the world, we have no doubt that Bombardier’s global aviation leadership, experience, and expertise will be a catalyst for invaluable service delivery and excellence, upon the facility’s official unveiling.”
The Middle East – specifically the GCC region – is showing some of the strongest growth in business jet demand, notably from the UAE, where flights were up by 73 per cent compared to 2019. Within the Middle East, the UAE has witnessed the highest demand for private jet charter services by revenue in 2021, followed by Saudi Arabia. Qatar, Oman and Bahrain are all seeing increasing growth in this sector too. The private jet market in the UAE is predicted to see the number of aircraft increasing to reach 250 by 2025 from about 150 private aircraft currently.
