Aircraft

Having just awarded Honeywell the contract to supply the A350 XWB's "air package" comprising the auxiliary power unit and related systems, Airbus is finalising vendor selection for the other main system packages, says programme chief Didier Evrard.

"We are very close to announcing the landing-gear supplier," says Evrard, adding that the target is to have selected 70% of the systems before year-end. Other major packages to be allocated include avionics and the power-generation system.

Evrard says that work packages for production of the A350's airframe have been defined and number "around 10". These will be awarded to Airbus factories and outside suppliers.

In parallel with bidding processes for XWB packages, partners are being sought for Airbus's French facilities at Meaulte and St Nazaire Ville, its German sites at Nordenham and Varel, and Filton in the UK as part of the airframer's Power8 restructuring programme.

Airbus says it has narrowed the shortlist of bidders from an initial 11 to five companies: GKN, Latecoere, MT Aerospace, Spirit AeroSystems and Voith.

"In line with Airbus' strategy to develop a network of first-tier suppliers to support the A350 XWB, the partners would share investment risks but also the benefits resulting from their participation in the A350 programme," says Airbus.

Germany's MT Aerospace and Voith have each been linked with the Varel and Nordenham facilities, while Latecoere is pursuing Meaulte and Saint Nazaire Ville.

Spirit has said that it would be interested in the German and French locations, and UK-based GKN has confirmed interest in Filton.

Airbus' German facility at Laupheim is also being sold and another German site, Augsburg, is under consideration for inclusion. Adding Augsburg to the programme would require Airbus to extend the sale period to give interested parties time to adjust their bids.