GKN Aerospace exhibits for the first time at the Japan Airshow

GKN Aerospace will appear for the first time at the Japan Airshow this October, exhibiting examples of the full range of the Company's expertise including advanced composite and metallic structures, transparencies, electro thermal de-icing and repair and overhaul activities.

Frank Bamford, Senior VP of Business Development and Strategy for GKN Aerospace comments: "We have recently completed our acquisition of the Airbus manufacturing operation in Filton, UK, GKN Aerospace and are now positioned as one of the major independent suppliers of composite aerostructures to the world aviation market - where we already lead in transparencies and complex metallic structures for the airframe and aero-engine."

GKN Aerospace has doubled the size of its business operation over the past 5 years reaching a turnover of $2bn. The acquisition from Airbus increases sales to almost $3bn and the Company plans to add another $1bn to this sales figure by 2012. Today all major western aircraft programmes across the military and civil aviation markets contain a significant GKN Aerospace contribution - including on pioneering programmes such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350, the F-22, F-35 and the Typhoon.

In business aviation, GKN Aerospace is working closely with Honda to supply the entire fuselage structural sub-assembly for the HondaJet advanced light jet and has recently won contracts to supply nacelles for Embraer's latest business aircraft and the huge windshield for the Lear 45.

GKN Aerospace has also successfully entered the growing blended winglet market with deliveries to Aviation Partners Boeing of winglets for the 737-300/500 and the 767-300ER. The 767 winglet is a massive 11' long, was designed and developed at GKN Aerospace and first deliveries were made in July this year.

In aero-engines, GKN Aerospace has significant presence in metallic case, blade and vane supply to engine primes including GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and SNECMA. The Company now plans to lead the industry in the introduction of composite structures to this extreme environment. GKN Aerospace has already developed the first example of an all composite fan case for a commercial aircraft - the front fan containment case for the GEnx Engine which will power the Boeing 787 - and has established a joint venture with Rolls-Royce to develop composite engine fan blades.

Elsewhere an extensive capability in electro-chemical machining and the Company's development of new processes such as delta pressure forming are giving GKN Aerospace a lead in the manufacture of complex, rugged metallic shapes such as blisks, exhausts, thrust reversers and engine inlets. The breadth of GKN Aerospace expertise is also enabling the Company to manufacture and supply complete engine modules.

Bamford concludes: "We have a strategic vision of our long term growth and development and with the growing strength of the Japanese aerospace industry, we consider this a key market that offers many important opportunities as a partner, customer or supplier."