Step-by-step process, costs in AED, required documents and timelines. It compares the available options so you can make an informed decision about the right structure for your business. Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone offers packages starting from AED 12,500 with same-day licence issuance.
Dubai is one of the world's most strategically important aviation hubs, home to one of the largest airline fleets on the planet and a maintenance, repair, and overhaul sector that services aircraft from across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
For businesses looking to trade in aircraft components, spare parts, and aviation consumables, the UAE offers a genuinely compelling combination of proximity to demand, favourable regulation, and world-class logistics infrastructure. Understanding the license cost and structure is the critical first step. This guide covers the setup costs and activity codes at Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone, which sits adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport.
What Does an Aircraft Spare Parts Trading License Cover?
An aircraft spare parts trading license allows your business to import, export, and wholesale aviation components, aircraft parts, and related aerospace consumables. This includes structural components, avionics, engines and engine parts, cabin fittings, hydraulic components, and aircraft maintenance consumables. For a broader view of how trading licenses work at Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone, the trading hub page provides useful context.
Aircraft Spare Parts Trading License Requirements
In addition to the standard free zone registration documents, aircraft spare parts trading may require compliance with UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) standards and, depending on the product, country-of-origin export certification from the relevant airworthiness authority. The key documentation requirements are:
Passport copy for all shareholders and directors
Proof of residential address
Proposed company name
GCAA compliance documentation depending on part classification
Airworthiness certification paperwork for regulated components, including country-of-origin export certification from the relevant airworthiness authority where applicable
Speak directly with the Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone team to confirm the specific approval requirements for your product category before applying.
Activity Codes for Aircraft Spare Parts Trading
Activity codes for aircraft spare parts trading businesses at Dubai South Business Hub Free Zone:
4659.03, Wholesale of Transport Equipment Except Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Bicycles
4659.00, Wholesale of Other Machinery and Equipment
4773.74, Gliders, Sailplanes and Spare Parts Trading
Visit the business activities page for the complete list of transport and machinery trading activity codes available.
License Cost for an Aircraft Spare Parts Trading Business
Base licensing starts at AED 12,500 per year, covering company registration, flexi-desk, and up to five activity codes. Aircraft parts trading businesses with a narrower product scope can typically work within the first five codes. Those covering multiple aviation categories, structural components alongside avionics, consumables, and ground support equipment for example, should budget for additional codes at AED 2,000 each.
Beyond the license fee, the configuration that matters most for an aircraft parts business is warehousing. Aviation parts require appropriate storage facilities, and in some cases temperature or humidity-controlled environments, that sit outside the standard flexi-desk arrangement. Investor visas, Emirates ID, medical checks, and bank account assistance are all priced separately. Use the cost calculator to generate an itemised estimate specific to your setup
Setting Up Your Aircraft Parts Trading Company
The free zone registration is fully digital and requires no visit to Dubai at any stage. For activities not requiring GCAA pre-approval, eligible applicants can typically receive their license within one business day of document submission and payment confirmation.
With a license in place, you benefit from 100% foreign ownership, zero personal income tax, and full repatriation of profits. Your proximity to Al Maktoum International Airport provides direct operational access to the aviation sector you are supplying, which is a material commercial advantage for an aircraft parts business.
Why Dubai South for Aviation Trading?
No other free zone in the UAE sits at the gate of a major international airport the way Dubai South does. For a business trading in aircraft parts, being able to coordinate rapidly with airline maintenance teams, MRO facilities, and cargo handlers operating out of Al Maktoum International Airport is not incidental. It is a core operational advantage. Add Jebel Ali Port for sea freight imports and the Etihad Rail connection for onward distribution, and the logistics case for Dubai South is among the strongest in the region.
