https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Airbus Defence and Space continues to win orders for its aircraft

An A400M on the Final Assembly Line in Seville

Photo by Keith Campbell/Creamer Media

Four A400Ms are visible in this shot, outside the Delivery Centre in Seville

Photo by Keith Campbell/Creamer Media

2nd November 2015

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

Font size: - +

European aerospace company Airbus Defence and Space has reported continuing market success. "We keep growing not only the number of planes [on order] but the number of our customers and the number of countries," highlighted company military aircraft sales head Antonio Rodriguez Barberan at its recent Trade Media Briefing (TMB).

"We are almost everywhere,” he pointed out. “Some years ago we decided to create a policy of establishing partnerships with [customer] countries [or establish local subsidiaries]. The reason for this is, of course, to sustain technical [support] services. Our future strategy is to support armies, air forces, in a way they find locally sustainable."

Because of the fatal accident in May, "it has been a difficult year" for the A400M. But deliveries have continued and at least 14 will be handed over to customers this year. "Light and medium [transport aircraft] – a very successful year-and-a-half," he reported. The company won 28 orders in 2014 and 15 more in 2015 so far.

Its light and medium transport aircraft portfolio is composed of the CN235 and the larger C295. "In this market, the 295 is cannibalizing the 235," he noted, because the market is demanding larger aircraft. "Customers want workhorses that can sustain the missions, that can deliver the missions." The company's strategy is to offer special mission versions of the C295 as well as transport aircraft.

All C212s – the oldest and smallest of the company's designs – are now built in Indonesia by a local partner company PTDI; they can still be ordered through Airbus as well as from PTDI, but from Airbus' side, C212s will be produced only on demand from customers.

Regarding the A330 Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT), "we could not be more successful". The aircraft has won nearly every competition it has been entered into. Its most recent win was in South Korea. In June, Seoul announced the selection of the A330 MRTT to equip the Republic of Korea Air Force. Four of the tankers will be acquired. "Winning Korea was an absolute success," enthused Barberan.

The company is also a major shareholder in the Eurofighter consortium, producing the supersonic multirole fighter of the same name (also known by its British designation of Typhoon). “We have a clear road map for the plane,” he said. It is a plane that is not the cheapest, so we should not expect to sell hundreds." On deployments, the fighter is achieving 99% fleet availability.

Keith Campbell attended the TMB 2015 as a guest of the company.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

AutoX
AutoX

We are dedicated to business excellence and innovation.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
SABAT
SABAT

From batteries for boats and jet skis, to batteries for cars and quad bikes, SABAT Batteries has positioned itself as the lifestyle battery of...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.087 0.138s - 155pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now