Abu Dhabi: Strata Manufacturing, a Mubadala Aerospace’s composite aero-structures plant, is targeting assembly of an 8-14 seat passenger plane for businessmen by 2018 in Abu Dhabi in cooperation with Piaggio Aero of Italy.

Delivering a lecture titled “Strata and the aviation industry in Abu Dhabi from vision to reality”, Homaid Al Shemmari, executive director of Mubadala Aerospace’s Business Unit, said “Our investments in Strata is about Dh850 million and we have contacts of Dh7 billion until 2020.”

Al Shemmari added: “We are eyeing an increase in aeronautical industries’ contribution to Abu Dhabi’s GDP from 1-3 per cent by 2030. We also plan to create up to 10,000 new jobs by 2030 as Strata is transforming itself into an aviation hub.”

“Strata’s 230,000 square foot facility is located at the Al Ain Aerospace Centre at Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain International Airport,” he pointed out.

“The steady and rapid upsurge in contracts from the world’s largest planemakers reveal that the Dh850 million factory project is starting to pay off,” he said.

“Since inception in 2009 and within 18 monhts, the first parts were produced. We produce structure which is lighter and stronger than traditional aluminium in order to allow airlines to save weight and burn less fuel. Each piece is tested with giant ultrasound scanners for invisible flaws,” remarked Al Shemmari.

The executive director said that in the past 12 months, Strata was able to raise the proportion of UAE nationals working for the company from 1 per cent to 33 per cent, most of them women.

He pointed out that the use of carbon composites in aerospace is slated to double in the next ten years, marking the biggest single technological upheaval since the arrival of the jet engine.

The lecture, which was attended by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, touched upon the future outlook of Abu Dhabi’s aeronautical industries and would-be competitors.

Competition from South Korea, Europe, Japan, India, Brazil and North America is intense but “we are determined to leapfrog competitors and claim a top-three spot in the industry by 2020,” Al Shemmari.

“Our objective is to be a global leader within a decade in composite airframes and a leader in wings and empennage [tail sections],” Al Shemmari added.

With regard to challenges facing this industry, Al Shemmari explained, “Among the challenges that we are facing is recruiting local personnel to meet the country’s development targets, and to keep costs down.”

International and regional markets

Al Shemmari said that demand is on the rise and it will increase further in the next few years.

“The international demand for new planes will increase to 33,500 by 2030,” he pointed out. “The total value of the aeronautical industry sector in the world in the coming 20 years is estimated to reach Dh15 trillion,” stressed Al Shemmari.

As for the Middle East and North Africa region, there is a dire need of 2,500 planes from 2011-2030, he pointed out.

With regard to the Asia Pacific region, there will be a high demand for planes.

“More than 11,500 planes are required from 2011-2030 in the Asia Pacific region and we want to have a tangible market share,” Al Shemmari added.

Nibras: The Al Ain Aerospace Park

Strata has already launched phase I of the aviation city project, Nibras-Al Ain Aerospace Park, with construction now under way on an aviation academy and other related facilities.

“This phase will be completed in 2015. We are pushing ahead with the infrastructure of this project to attract foreign investment and encourage global companies to open offices in Nibras,” said Al Shemmari.

“By 2030, Nibras will contribute Dh6.5 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP,” he added.

The firm makes composite parts for Airbus planes and plans to build Phase II of its Al Ain factory by 2016.

“We already have contracts in March 2012 with Boeing to wing flags for the 787 Dreamliner,” Al Shemmari said.

He added: “The company has entered into collaboration agreements with world-class aerospace and aviation companies to leverage the expertise necessary for a high tech, end-to-end technology and manufacturing base that offers both state-of-the-art facilities and a global reach”.

The lecture was attended by a number of Shaikhs, senior government officials and others.