The French aerostructures industry showed strong growth last year as Airbus Industrie, its key customer, continued to improve market share. But the sector is under increasing pressure to consolidate as the airframer targets efficiency improvements ahead of the A3XX launch.
Hurel-Dubois co-operates with Latécoère and Socata on Airbus components and, while Philippe Camus, president of Socata's parent Aerospatiale Matra, insists the subsidiary is "not for sale", he stresses that consolidation is an essential step towards ensuring Airbus' competitiveness.
Aerospatiale Matra has been in talks with Latécoère over forming an aerostructures group, and discussions with Hurel Dubois have also taken place, although an industry source says: "There is still a long way to go." All three suppliers benefited from Airbus' healthy performance last year and co-operate on A340-500/600 components.
Hurel-Dubois saw net profits leap by 31% last year, to Fr69 million ($10 million), although nacelles and thrust reversers remain its core activity, with just 18% of its Fr1.8 billion sales (up 25%) coming from aerostructures.
The company has joined the A3XX programme as a risk-sharing partner, with a 2% stake. President Francis Avanzi wants to increase its North American presence, and is looking for a Fr40 million capital injection from shareholders to fund its "growing commitments".
Latécoère has a 2.5% stake in A3XX development and derives 80%of sales from aerostructures, with 58% linked to Airbus. The company has a deal with Embraer to build fuselage sections and the doors for the ERJ-170 and -190 regional jets and, with other suppliers, is bidding for work on the Bombardier BRJ-X. Latécoère's sales grew 15% in 1999 to Fr1.22 billion, with operating profits up 21%, to Fr71.8 million.
Source: Flight International
