We've been to visit some of Italy's leading aerospace companies - big and small - and our special feature on the country's aerospace industry appears in next week's Flight International. The Italians have, of course, been building aircraft since the First World War and the industry is well developed. The supply base is still heavily reliant on Alenia and other Finmeccanica companies, but that has proved no bad thing as the national champions have been successful in winning stakes in key programmes such as the Boeing 787 and Bombardier CSeries. But, perhaps surprisingly, there are a number of independent suppliers which have forged their own direct contracts with international airframers, as tier one suppliers. We also take a look at Finmeccanica's broad efforts to create a truly global business, Italy's state-funded space strategy and the impact of budget cuts on military aircraft procurement. The 16 November issue of Flight International also examines why a PR impasse led to a Rolls-Royce shares slide in the days following the Qantas Trent 900 engine failure.
November 2010 Archives
The 2011 edition, shot in Fuerteventura in September, will raise money for the German charity "Tafel", after over 400 charities across Europe applied for chance to be a charity calendar partner.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, who in a previous year offered to be the calendar's first male model, had this to say:"We hope that the 2011 Charity Calendar will raise up to €100,000 to help 'Tafel' deliver even more food to people in need throughout Germany".Here's the making of video:
ADS manager for Northern Ireland Leslie Orr is passionate about
helping member companies within the region's aerospace, defence and
security industries to survive and thrive in the global downturn.
How did you get your start in aviation?
As a 16-year-old school RAF Air Cadet, I remember being strapped into
a glider at Lossiemouth air base in Scotland. Fear grew as the "bungee"
rope attached to the front of the glider was stretched by the launch
winch. As the tension in the rope was cracked up it was like that moment
of trepidation at the start of a roller-coaster ride. Then the pilot
released the tail hook and we launched. There was rush, g force
and amazing wind noise, then we were up, the rope was released and as we
glided there was silence, peace and the thrill of flight.
What does your job at ADS NI involve?
The aerospace, defence and security industry is a major contributor to the Northern Ireland economy, with more than 8,000 employees. Major firms like Bombardier, Thales, B/E Aerospace and RFD Beaufort have substantial operations in Northern Ireland and there is a very strong SME base of design and supply chain companies. The industry is supported by world-class research centres at Queen's University and the University of Ulster.
My role is to help grow the sector, to provide member value. This
involves working closely with government and particularly Invest NI. It
involves business development, delivering business events, international
business leads and contacts. It involves bringing the sector together
to help form clusters. It also involves promoting business improvement
and quality excellence through programmes such as SC21 (Supply Chains
for the 21st Century). Read more...
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