RBI Hawker opens world-class helicopter rotor blade repair and overhaul facility in Jafza

In the presence of , Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, Ports, and Free Zone Authority and Henrik Von Platen, Chairman, Hawker Pacific Airservices Ltd.

The state-of-the-art facility will service the needs of commercial and military helicopter operators in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The facility has received the approval from Bell Helicopter for repair and overhaul of Bell commercial and military helicopter rotor blades, along with the approval from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah said,

"RBI Hawker's decision to set up its state-of-the-art facility at Jafza underlines the importance of a well-planned and fully-equipped free zone that can cater to a wide range of industries. From their base in Jafza, RBI Hawker can effectively meet the market requirements of the entire Middle East and surrounding regions, and provide high quality repair and overhaul services to their clients."

"Jafza, with its proximity to the Jebel Ali port and the up coming air cargo airport, will provide RBI Hawker with a host of competitive benefits as it looks to consolidate its market position in the region," added Bin Thaniah.

Henrik Von Platen said, "We established our rotor blade repair facility in Jafza mainly due to the convenient location of the free zone and its easy access by road, sea and air. Our regional customers will be able to transport their blades by road, which will considerably reduce their freight costs and turnaround times. Moreover, the range of facilities and the quality of infrastructure available at Jafza made this an ideal location for us to set up our facility."

Jafza offers a range of advantages to companies establishing operations in the zone, such as simple administrative procedures, zero duties on all import and export goods and machineries within the free zone, modern communication facilities and excellent support services.