Boeing has opened a new 36,000 ft.2 storage facility in India for engineering spare parts in collaboration with logistics provider DB Schenker. Located at Kurja, Uttar Pradesh, the logistics center is aimed at solving the country’s shortage of spares and supply chain woes by ensuring availability of spare parts to domestic airlines. The OEM hopes the facility will reduce flight cancelations due to maintenance, enable higher fleet utilization and reduce downtimes and AOG situations.
Boeing announced plans for the facility in February 2023 and the first batch of parts from the logistics center were shipped to customers in December. It is one of Boeing’s eight global distribution centers that ship spare parts specifically for the OEM’s commercial customers.
The inauguration of the facility comes on the backdrop of Air India’s huge order of Boeing aircraft last year. Today, Indian commercial airlines operate more than 150 Boeing aircraft, including the 737NG and 737 MAX, 757, 777 and 787.
Stressing the importance of robust spare parts availability and supply chain demand in the Indian market, Boeing India President Salil Gupte reiterated the OEM’s strategy of long-term investment in India. “We remain excited and committed as we provide critical service support toward the growth of the Indian civil and defense aviation ecosystem,” he says.
The warehouse operations will be carried out in two stages, with the initial stage focused on supporting regional airline customers and the second stage catering to the larger network of Boeing customers in South Asia.
The warehouse is strategically located along India’s Eastern Freight Corridor, with proximity to both Delhi and the upcoming Jewar airport in Noida.
“The complexities of warehousing and logistics, combined with Boeing's distinctive needs, provided us with an opportunity to build an innovative setup that meets the distinct spares support requirements of India's growing aviation industry,” says Kinjal Pande, CEO for the Indian subcontinent at DB Schenker.
Through initiatives such as the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment hub program, Boeing is already supporting many local repair shops and MRO providers in India to develop aftermarket capabilities with its partners.
Last October, Air India commissioned a warehouse facility near Delhi International Airport to facilitate storage of over 1,000,000 engineering spares integral to MRO needs of its aircraft and ground support equipment.
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