GKN Aerospace hit Farnborough running with a clutch of new contract announcements worth $960 million over 10 years that take the UK-based tier 1's new business tally to $1.5 billion for the first half of 2010.

Key customer Airbus has extended GKN's A530 involvement to develop and supply of all the composite elements of the aircraft's outboard and inboard landing flaps. The work will be done in Munich.

GKN has been investing heavily in the UK to support Airbus work; it bought the airframer's Filton wing components facility in January 2009 and is now completing a dedicated factory nearby to build the composite rear spar and fixed trailing edge assemblies it is already contracted to supply to the A350.

A $300m, 10-year deal with Rolls-Royce has GKN making flight critical engine structures - including the tail bearing housing and high pressure/intermediate pressure (HPIP) structures - for Trent 700 and 1000 engines, at its El Cajon, California facility. GKN engine structures chief executive Mike Beck describes the components as being of so complex that they would previously only been made by Rolls-Royce itself. For the decade to 2020, GKN Aerospace will manufacture the tail bearing housing and HPIP structures for the Trent 700 and Trent 1000.

And, a 10-year, $360 million contract with Pratt & Whitney extends GKN's Lockheed Martin F-35 exposure to include titanium engine ducts for the fighter's F135 engine, also for production at El Cajon. GKN already supplies several million dollars worth of components per F-35 ship set, including the cockpit canopy system, all-composite engine fan inlet case and a other composite and exotic metal components.

With GE Aviation, a 5-year, $300 million agreement covers the supply of aluminium and titanium components for engines including the GEnx-1B, CFM International CFM56 and Engine Alliance GP7200. Work is taking place at GKN's New England and Cincinnati operations in the US.

Already announced in the first quarter were wins on the F-35 and a contract worth up to $100 million through 2025 for GKN's Isle of Wight plant to supply C-Series airliner winglets to Bombardier in Belfast.

Chief executive Marcus Bryson described the new contract wins as demonstrating "our success in growing the company to a size and scale that enables us to contribute as an effective long term programme partner for both the airframe and engine primes".

For 2009, GKN Aerospace sales were up 48% to nearly £1.5 billion ($2.24 billion) and trading profit soared 61% to £169 million, thanks to £25 million-worth of organic sales growth and a £330 million revenue and £40 million profit boost from the ex-Airbus Filton wing components plant bought in January 2009.

Source: Flight Daily News

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