MICHAEL PHELAN / BROUGHTON
Airbus is facing a potential headache over the logistics of transporting the UK-built A380 wing assemblies to Toulouse. Meanwhile, the manufacturer says it has not ruled out adopting more metallic structure on future versions of the A380.
Speaking earlier this month at the official opening of the new West Factory at Airbus UK's Broughton, North Wales, plant, where A380 wing assembly will be undertaken, the division's managing director Tom Williams said that the company has concerns about the future of the Port of Mostyn in north Wales where wings will start their sea/land journey to the assembly line.
The port's operators suffered a setback in May when ferry operator P&O announced it was selling its routes to rival Stena Line and plans to discontinue operations from Mostyn, where it is the largest operator. Williams says Airbus has been reassured by the Port of Mostyn that "the current contract will be fulfilled", but he admits that Airbus is evaluating alternative arrangements. "We are looking at at least two contingency plans, including revised financing for the docks and alternative locations," he says. "The deal is not yet fully in the bag."
Jim O'Toole, Port of Mostyn managing director, declines to discuss the Airbus contract, but insists that "the P&O decision will have no impact on the port's other customers. P&O and Stena still need to get regulatory approval for their plans."
Meanwhile, Airbus A380 programme executive vice-president Charles Champion says that optimisation of future versions of the aircraft may make increased use of metallic components in addition to composites. He says improved aluminium products could buy their way back on to the structure.
"We may consider fewer composite wing ribs in the heavier versions, but we are hoping to incorporate more Glare [glassfibre reinforced aluminium] on the leading edges of the wing and tailplane," he says. "Further weight savings should come from the optimisation of Section 19 [aft fuselage]," he adds.
Source: Flight International
