The dispute between Sino Swearingen Aircraft (SSA) and Spanish aerostructures producer Gamesa could end up in court if the companies cannot reach agreement. They are suing each other for breach of contract.
SSA replaced Gamesa last month as wing and fuselage supplier for its SJ30-2 light business jet, alleging that "poor quality" of the subcontracted aircraft parts produced by the Spanish company contributed to delays in the aircraft's certification schedule (Flight International, 26 June-2 July). Nashville-based Aerostructures now builds the parts.
Gamesa says SSA terminated its contract only after it initiated court action against the US company, alleging the manufacturer had "materially breached" the same contracts. The Spanish firm denies it caused any significant delay in the programme.
Gamesa managing director Cesar Fernández de Velasco says: "The fundamental cause of delays and difficulties with the SJ30-2 programme has been the incredible number of engineering drawing changes, which have continued unabated. SSA has the sole responsibility for design under its contracts with Gamesa and it is very difficult to construct quality parts when the designs for those parts are constantly changing."
Gamesa also denies SSA's assertion that it transferred SJ30-2 engineers to other programmes and that delivery of parts for the first production aircraft to SSA's Martinsburg, West Virginia, assembly facility was delayed. De Velasco adds: "SSA failed to follow the procedures set forth in its contracts with Gamesa to order the sets for the production aircraft." SSA says that it cannot comment further.
Source: Flight International