Saab Extends Airbus A320 Aileron Manufacturing Agreement
Saab and Airbus have signed a new multi-year contract for the continued production of ailerons for the Airbus A320 Family. The agreement extends a partnership that has been in place for nearly 20 years.
Swedish defense and aerospace company Saab has extended its contract with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The new multi-year deal covers the production of ailerons for the Airbus A320 Family, with negotiations concluding this fall. The agreement represents a significant milestone for Saab's Aerospace Systems business unit.
The original contract between Saab and Airbus was signed almost 20 years ago, and since then, Saab has delivered 20,000 ailerons. The company states that its proprietary composite design is fully optimized for high-volume production, making it efficient from a lean perspective due to an integrated composite box that interacts with the production system's requirements.
According to Saab, the new agreement is strategically important for the company's product portfolio. They emphasize that producing for a high-volume program like the A320 presents challenges that necessitate strong collaboration between different functions and subcontractors.
Saab representatives Sebastian Jakolini and Andreas Westergren described the finalization of negotiations as a key milestone for their commercial program portfolio and a demonstration of what can be achieved with their production systems.