Mubadala to supply Airbus with assembled components

Dubai: The UAE on Sunday inched closer to developing aircraft components and become part of a global aircraft supply chain when Airbus and Mubadala Development Company signed two agreements for the manufacture of aileron composite panels and the production of assembled aileron shipsets for the A330/A340 aircraft series.

Production will commence in 2011 at the Strata, a Mubadala undertaking, composites aero structures manufacturing facility, located in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

The two agreements represent the first work packages directly from Airbus under the Master Supply Agreement signed between EADS/Airbus and Mubadala in November 2008.

The aileron work packages include manufacture of composite panels.

In 2011, Strata will commence manufacture of carbon fibre panel skins of the aileron components and will be the global sole source provider for Airbus of these components.

By mid 2012 Strata will become the dual source supplier for assembled aileron shipsets, alongside the Airbus plant in Nantes, France. Strata will produce up to five shipsets of ailerons per month.

Hinged surface

An aileron is the hinged surface that forms part of the back edge of each wing on an aircraft. The ailerons are moved up or down to create uneven lift on the sides of the plane to control its rolling and tilting movements. Ailerons are critical to an aircraft's function and are therefore known as primary structures.

In 2008 European Aerospace group EADS/Airbus, and Mubadala Aerospace, a division of Mubadala Development Company, signed a multi-faceted supplier agreement.

The agreement sees EADS/Airbus extend its footprint in the Middle East in terms of suppliers and production capabilities and Mubadala advance its plans to establish Abu Dhabi as a global aerospace hub.

The cooperation is expected to generate more than $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) of revenue for Mubadala Aerospace over ten years.

"Our 2008 agreement with the EADS and Airbus has been fundamental to developing several components of our aerospace strategy, not least helping us to develop STRATA composites manufacturing facility" said Homaid Al Shemmari, Associate Director of Mubadala Aerospace.

"We are honoured to be producing this work package for Airbus, it exemplifies the Mubadala approach of forming partnerships to deliver mutual benefits."

Mubadala is a catalyst for the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi.

Strategy

Established and owned by the Government, the company's strategy is built on the management of long-term, capital-intensive investments that deliver strong financial returns and tangible social benefits for the Emirate.

Mubadala brings together and manages a multi-billion dollar portfolio of local, regional, and international investments.

The company partners with leading global organisations to operate businesses across a wide range of industry sectors including aerospace, energy and industry, healthcare, information communications and technology, infrastructure and real estate.

By doing so, Mubadala accomplishes its mission to expand the economic base of the emirate and contribute to the growth and diversification of the Abu Dhabi economy.