European airliner manufacturer Airbus expects to double its current sourcing volume from South Africa by 2020. This was revealed on Wednesday by Airbus international cooperation analyst Tina Rose in Toulouse, France.
Currently, Airbus sources components and parts from South Africa worth $35-million a year. Companies that are Airbus partners and suppliers are Aerosud, Cobham, Denel Aerostructures and NDT.
The European group is also involved in research and technology (R&T) cooperation with South African institutions. In 2006, Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Science and Technology. In 2007, the European group started cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Aerospace Centre (Airbus provides some of the funding) and South African universities. In 2009, the company signed a R&T framework agreement with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Since 2007, the airliner company has launched a number of R&T projects with the CSIR. These cover natural fibers development, fuel slosh modelling, titanium cooperation and, since last year, additive layer manufacturing (this last project also involving Aerosud). The development of titanium additive manufacturing is a particularly important project for both sides.
This year saw the start of a new project, involving Airbus, South African Airways, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Traffic Navigation Service. This covers the development of a new air traffic navigation and management procedure, to avoid congestion in high density airspace, providing better, continuous approaches to airports (instead of stacking aircraft). In turn, this will save fuel, cut costs and reduce emissions.
South African manufacture of parts for Airbus aircraft started with Aerosud making flap track cans for the A320 family. Since then, the South Africa company has added the manufacture of detail wing parts and avionics racks for A320s and flap track cans and carbon fibre reinforced plastic frame clips for A350s. Cobham makes high gain satellite antennas for most Airbus aircraft. Denel Aerostructures has designed and builds wing/fuselage fairings (WFFs), fuselage top shells and, now, vertical tail plane spars and swords for the A400M military airlifter. Rose reported that the WFFs are the largest aerodynamic structures ever produced in South Africa. "It's a complicated part," she noted.
Keith Campbell is at Airbus head office in Toulouse as a guest of the company.