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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0070.PDF
UKtakes The wings of every Airbus aircraft built have started their life on a UK assembly line The reorganisation of BAE Systems Airbus into the UK arm of the integrated company provides an interesting case study MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/BRISTOL THE UK blinked first when Europe's aero space players were discussing a collabora tive airliner project at the end of the 1960s. Fortunately, the UK Government's deci sion to withdraw as a paid-up partner in Airbus Industrie, which was announced in April 1969, did not discourage Hawker Siddeley (HS) from linking up with the consortium as a private ven ture to design and build the wings. Thanks to the foresight of the Hatfield-based company, which became part of British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) on its creation in 1978, every Airbus wing has been designed by UK engineers and built in UK factories. Ten years on, HS's private deal would also provide a way back into the Airbus consortium for the nationalised BAe, and the company's Airbus work now contributes a healthy return to its bottom line. AIRBUS UK Wing-design responsibility for Airbus aircraft lies with the Filton plant near Bristol, while wing final assembly is performed by the former HS plantnear Broughton. In anticipation of the restructuring, these two plants, which consti tute BAE's Airbus division, have been renamed Airbus UK. These plants will now become part of the Airbus Integrated Company (AIC), with the former division's 9,000 employees trans ferred accordingly. As they are no longer BAE staff, they have had to relinquish their BAE 68 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 January 2001
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