AeroSystems at Prestwick lands two major contracts
Aircraft carriers boost Clydebank and Rossyth yars, now two major contract wins for Spirit AeroSystems at Prestwick keeps Scotland's advanced aerospace capability and 750 jobs safeguarded The former BAE Systems plant, sold to Canadian-owned Spirit two years ago, has strengthened its existing relationship with Airbus by landing work on current and new aircraft over the next seven to nine years.
Prestwick's continuing work on the A320 will be worth $1.7bn (£900m) to 2015, and it will grab a high-value share of a $2bn (£1bn) contract to build the wings for the new- generation A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) which will last until 2017. Spirit Europe has signed a contract with Airbus to design and produce a major composite wing structure for the A350, with the wing leading edge structure designed and assembled primarily in Ayrshire. Spirit's recently announced US facility in Kinston, North Carolina, will build another part of the wing, while lower-skill sub-assemblies will go to a facility in Malaysia. The 32-metre wing structure will have a high 50% carbon-fibre content, making it lighter and more fuel-efficient. "We already have a long history of producing major wing structures in the UK for current Airbus models such as the A320 and A380," commented Neil McManus, vice-president and managing director of Spirit Europe. "This contract win means that we will be playing just as vital a role in their newest model." Source:http://www.theherald.co.uk
Web:http://www.spiritaero.com/
