GKN Aerospace gains Airbus (UK) contract for airframe engineering support

Following a global competitive evaluation, GKN Aerospace - Engineering Services has gained a contract to provide engineering design and analysis support to Airbus. This involves working on improvements to the manufacturing and maintenance of their existing range of single aisle, wide body and long range aircraft. It is a three year contract and continues an existing engineering support activity that has spanned the last eight years.

The GKN Aerospace engineering resource will be employed in supporting the Airbus serial programmes team on wing engineering. Their contribution is aimed at improving the manufacturability of the product to achieve extended airframe life and enhanced aircraft flight parameters - such as increasing the approved take off weight.

Chris Jones, Director and General Manager commented: "This new contract recognises the contribution our engineering team has made over recent years and acknowledges the value of our investment in maintaining the full range of legacy engineering tools for these aircraft. Using these tools we are able to refer to the formats the planes were designed to and provide effective engineering support for aircraft which have, in some cases been in service for well over twenty years."

GKN Aerospace – Engineering Services is a 350 person operation and a major force in this market with acknowledged expertise in structural design and analysis. The operation provides support for many UK and US-based Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of, and tier one suppliers to, major military and civil, fixed and rotary wing aerospace platforms such as the A380, A350 commercial airliners, the Joint Strike Fighter, and the AW101, CH53K and Chinook helicopters. GKNAES services are also employed by major manufacturers across the automotive, naval and rail sectors including Ford, Thales, VT, and Bombardier.