Airbus plans to begin taking raw aluminum from the Russian Aluminum company in 2005 in a deal potentially worth $20 million a year, writes Vladimir Karnozov.
Currently, Russian metals company VSMPO provides 55% of the titanium used by Airbus, with annual deliveries worth about $20 million.
Meanwhile, quantity production of parts for Airbus aircraft in Russia is to start early next year. Initially, imported Western aluminum will be used for production of A320 floor panels. According to Airbus, rough machining will be done at NPK Irkut's IAPO plant in Irkutsk, with assembly of panels at the Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
IAPO is expected to supply parts worth $40-50 million a year. In 2002, Airbus took an experimental batch of Sokol-made parts for evaluation.
Airbus parent EADS and Russia's Rosaviakosmos state agency signed in 2001 an agreement calling for Airbus parts production in Russia worth g800 million ($954 million) over the next 10 years.
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot is acquiring a total of 10 A320s and eight A319s.
Source: Flight International
