Russian industry is hoping to secure a 5% or greater workshare of the Airbus 350XWB widebody project by the end of the year.
Led by the United Aircraft Corporation, “intensive consultations” are underway, says Oleg Demchenko, president of Irkut Corp, which will be one of the Russian aerospace partners in the A350 team. “We are actually running out of time,” says Demchenko, with EADS due to finalise the risk-share contracts with all vendors by the end of 2007.
UAC and Airbus signed a letter of intent on A350 collaboration in March. “We are still discussing a 5% stake, and actually we are ready to take up a little more,” says Demchenko.
As it prepares to join the A350, the first components Irkut is making for the A320 are due to be delivered this year. The company has a backlog of orders for the aircraft worth $340 million.
Another example of co-operation between Russian aerospace and EADS is a joint venture between UAC and Irkut and EADS subsidiary Elbe Flugzeugwerke on converting A320s into freighters.
The first customers for this programme, which will see conversion lines in both Germany ccccccaaand Russia, will be announced at the Russian Air Show in August, says Demchenko. Aircraft conversions in Russia will begin in 2012.
Source: Flight Daily News
