Airbus has opened Airlog II, its new logistics platform covering a surface area of 36,000 m2, equivalent to five rugby pitches, and is located in the Barquil zone north of Airbus’ HQ in Toulouse. On the same site as Airlog I, its first platform.
This latest generation platform is sized to absorb all the logistics activities for cabin components for A350 XWB, A330, and A320 Family aircraft, for which cabin furnishing is performed in Toulouse. This new logistics platform represents an investment for Airbus of more than €30m.
"This new hub is designed to accelerate the input and output flows, thereby allowing us greater efficiency in meeting assembly line requirements. The existing storage depots, which up until now were spread across several sites in the Occitanie region, will now be grouped into a single site. This proximity will allow us to save a half million kilometres in the transportation of goods each year. This means 1,000 tonnes of CO² saved, which represents the consumption of 500 cars over a year," explains Emmanuel de la Sayette, Airlog II Project Leader for Airbus.
The building has been designed with ecology at the forefront. The construction materials and methods used to build the entire platform are environmentally friendly and comply with environmental standards. Airbus wants to install solar panel structures in the car park with the aim of producing 1.1 MWh/year, equivalent to the annual consumption of 1,232 inhabitants. The new platform's power consumption is 56% less than that of the buildings currently in use.
A heating system on the roof of the new building filters air and eliminates dust. Skylights have also been added to provide a natural light source. Particular attention has been paid to the environment: the forest and wetlands around the new building have been preserved and 268 new trees planted.
Airlog II is part of the Airbus logistics strategy introduced in 2012, which led to the opening of Airlog I in 2014 (36,000 m²) and to its extension in 2017 (an additional 12,000 m²). Airlog I is dedicated to logistics activities for structural and equipment items for all the aircraft programmes. With Airlog II, the new hub for cabin components, located in the Barquil zone, as close as possible to the assembly lines, Airbus is ensuring that logistics development is secure for the long-term.
These two huge platforms provide a total storage area of 84,000 m², and provide employment to more than 200 people on the new site. Airlog II’s logistics operations are carried out by Daher Group.