Airbus and Mubadala expand composite aerostructures strategic partnership

By BA Staff

At the Dubai Airshow, Mubadala Aerospace, Communications Technology and Defense Services (ACTDS) announced that it has entered into a new strategic agreement with Airbus, marking a significant expansion of its existing partnership in relation to aerostructures manufacturing.

Airbus has made further commitments to awarding work packages to Strata, Mubadala’s advanced composite aerostructures manufacturing plant.

This agreement builds upon the ones already signed by Strata to provide flap track fairings for the manufacturer’s fleet of A330, A340, A350 XWB and A380 aircraft. In February 2013, the first four fully assembled Airbus A330 ailerons to be put together by Strata Manufacturing in Al Ain were delivered to Airbus's factory in Bremen, Germany, and fitted on an Etihad Airlines aircraft.

Airbus has also made future commitments to procure composite raw material from Mubadala, upon commencement of production from a proposed raw materials manufacturing facility to be established in Abu Dhabi.

Homaid Al Shemmari, Executive Director of Mubadala ACTDS, said:

“We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Airbus, which reflects Mubadala’s clear commitment to invest in and support the continued development and growth of the aerospace sector, in the UAE and globally.”

Guenter Butschek, Airbus Chief Operating Officer said:

"The cooperation with Strata fosters our long term partnership based on their strong capabilities consistently delivering high quality products to Airbus. We are pleased that the deliveries out of the UAE continue to play an important role in the future.”