GKN close to deal with Airbus on Filton

Up to 400 new aerospace jobs are likely to be created when GKN signs a joint venture with Airbus on the Filton site, according to the Bristol Evening Post. The deal includes establishing a new composites manufacturing operation, primarily for the A350 XWB airliner, at Easter Compton between the M49 and M5 and close to Avonmouth Docks. Wing design would continue at Filton.

Cloudy skies over Farnborough

As the world’s aerospace industry gathers at Farnborough, it emerges that Airbus has what might be called ‘a little black book’ of airline customers who might find themselves in financial difficulties. Louis Gallois, chief executive of Airbus’s parent company, EADS, says they have to be “vigilant” but that things are not as bad as they were post 9/11. In fact Airbus expects to figure prominently in the biggest aircraft order of all time.

Top draw at Farnborough is a display by the F-22 Raptor, which should have appeared at the weather-hit RAF Fairford at the weekend. The US Department of Defense will not let its maker, Lockheed, sell it overseas. But without the benefit of export sales it is becoming too expensive for the US military as well.

US u-turn on air tankers contract

The Pentagon is reopening the competition for a new air-to-air refuelling tanker to serve the US Air Force after intense lobbying by Boeing, who lost out to a Northrop Grumman-Airbus bid. Wing design teams at Filton would have been heavily involved in work on converting the chosen airframe, the Airbus A330.

Airbus rolls out military transport

Airbus today rolls out the A400M military transport aircraft. Its wings are designed and built at Filton almost wholly from composite materials rather than metal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7473838.stm