Dunlop Aircraft Tyres is hitting the tarmac with three new tyres recently approved for the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft - two new main gear bias ply (cross-ply) tyres and a new radial-ply nose gear tyre.
With more than 2,500 Boeing 737NGs in service, and a backlog of more than 2,000 on order, Boeing has stepped up the production rate of the aircraft. The recent approvals enable Dunlop to expand its share in the medium-haul sector of the market.
“A growing proportion of this market is located in Asia Pacific,” notes Ian Edmondson, chairman of Dunlop Aircraft Tyres. “Our joint venture retreading facility with HAECO that is due to start operation in China early next year will enable us to capture a significant share of the B737 Next Generation aircraft based in the region.”
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Dunlop’s new China facility is located in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, about an hour’s flying time from Hong Kong. Edmondson expects the new facility to significantly increase the company’s competitiveness both regionally and globally.
“Airlines are expanding rapidly within the region, both in their size and numbers,” Edmondson concludes, “and this expansion will help us continue our own growth despite the capacity reduction we are currently seeing among airlines in the West.”
Source: Flight International
