Aleris secures new multi-year contract with Airbus for significantly expanded range of aluminum products

Aleris has signed a new multi-year contract with Airbus to supply aluminum plate and sheet to be used in the production of all Airbus aircraft programs. The contract starts in 2017 and also includes the supply of technically advanced wing skin material.

The agreement further strengthens a long-standing partnership with Airbus, demonstrating how Aleris continues to meet the high expectations required of a strategic supplier to the aerospace industry.

"This vote of confidence from Airbus validates our strategy to expand our global rolled products footprint and invest in technology as we are now able to extend our range of aerospace products and better serve Airbus," says Sean Stack, President & CEO of Aleris. "With world class facilities strategically positioned in Koblenz, Germany and Zhenjiang, China we are in a strong position to support the significant growth projected in the aerospace industry, particularly in the Asia Pacific region."

The agreement itself significantly extends the Aleris relationship with Airbus, for not only does it include aluminum plate and sheet that are used in applications including aircraft fuselage and wing structures, but it now includes the supply of wing skins - a highly specialized product that requires additional processing and pre-machining. The contract includes the supply of material from the company's facilities in Koblenz, Germany and Zhenjiang, China, the latter of which represents a $350 Million greenfield project for Aleris. This facility was qualified by Airbus for the production of aerospace material in 2015.

According to a forecast completed by Flight Ascend Consultancy, part of FlightGlobal, the world's fleet of commercial aircraft is expected to increase by 81 percent to 49,940 aircraft in 2035, by which time 41 percent of the fleet is expected to be operating in Asia Pacific and China. Continued higher-than-average passenger traffic growth rates in this region will remain the key drivers for the industry's growth and new aircraft demand in the next 20 years.