Airbus SAS and ATK Aerospace Group finalized an agreement concering manufacturing and supply of composite stringers and frames for the –1000 variant of the A350 XWB commercial jet program. In a release, ATK described this as an expansion of an existing supply contract, noting the supply work it already performs for the A350 XWB.
The value and other terms of the new contract were not announced.
“This is another significant milestone in our long-term partnership with Airbus on the A350 XWB program,” according to Joy de Lisser, v.p. and general manager of the ATK Aerospace Structures division.
The Airbus A350 XWB is a long-range, wide-body jet that Airbus developed and produces for commercial air service. It’s the first Airbus jet designed with a fuselage and wing structures produced from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer materials (i.e., composites.)
The -1000 series is one of three variants of the A350 XWB. Following a nearly 10-year, $15-billion development program, the first aircraft in the series is due for a debut later this year, with Qatar Airways.
ATK Aerospace Structures manufactures composite structures for aerospace and defense manufacturers, includng the A350 XWB-900m, for which it produces composite stringers and frames. To date, ATK indicated it has delivered over 10,000 parts for that program.
“Our work with Airbus is an incredibly important component of the growth of ATK in the commercial aerospace structures business,” she continued.
Manufacturing composite parts for the A350 XWB is done at ATK's Aircraft Commercial Center of Excellence (ACCE) in Clearfield, Utah.
The manufacturer said the contract expansion would allow it to hire more workers at that location.
