Boeing launches largest APAC distribution centre in Brisbane

Aerospace giant Boeing has announced the opening of a new distribution centre near Brisbane Airport — the largest of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.

Located at Murrarie, the new site is Boeing’s largest aircraft space parts and chemicals distribution centre in APAC and is three times larger than the company’s previous two Brisbane distribution facilities combined.

The company said the new DC can hold up to double the previous spare parts inventory and can receive 15 times more freight each day direct to Brisbane, instead of via Melbourne.

With this design, the facility is expected to enable faster deliveries to keep commercial, defence, and business and general aviation airplanes flying, while reducing the carbon footprint of deliveries.

At the official opening ceremony, Queensland Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer welcomed the boost for the local community.

“Queensland is a well-known aviation hub in the Indo-Pacific region and Boeing’s investment in Brisbane gives us a distinct advantage as the defence and aviation industries continue their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Farmer said.

Related: Boeing announcement to bolster supply chain opportunities in Qld

The Boeing Brisbane Distribution Centre co-locates the Brisbane operations of Boeing Distribution Australia Pty Ltd and Boeing Distribution Services Inc.

The centre also features Boeing’s only east coast ambient temperature chamber and large-scale freezer for the storage of chemicals, adhesives and sealants.

This is set to eliminate the need for customers to store and maintain the correct inventory levels of these highly-sensitive items.

“This new facility will better connect our Australian and regional customers to the industry’s most advanced distribution network, so they get the right parts and solutions, at the right place, at the right time,” said Travis Sullivan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Distribution Services.

President of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, Dr Brendan Nelson said the new facility will build resilience into Australia’s sovereign defence and commercial aviation capability.

“Boeing is celebrating 95 years in Australia this year and, throughout that time, we’ve been dedicated to protecting Australia, its allies and its interests,” Dr Nelson said.

“This centre, which holds a larger local inventory of high-demand products and the ability to quickly receipt and dispatch critical parts, will better protect our customers against global supply chain interruptions,” he said.

“By enhancing Australia’s sovereign aviation capability, we’re helping safeguard our customers’ operations and building much-needed capacity and resilience into our industry.”

Virgin Australia General Manager, Engineering Operations Darren Dunbier said the airline would greatly benefit from the close proximity of the new DC to key maintenance facilities at Brisbane Airport.

“As a proud Queensland-based airline, we welcome Boeing’s significant investment in a modern facility in our home state which will enable us to service our existing aircraft with even greater efficiency and support our expanding fleet into the future,” Dunbier said.