Alenia Aeronautica plans to begin training, early next year, employees of Strata, the new composites aerostructures company formed by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Co. The Italian group, which has extensive experience with composites manufacturing, has been partnered with Mubadala (Stand C510) in the venture since October, when the sovereign wealth fund signed an agreement with its parent Finmeccanica (Stand C420).
Mubadala is looking to boost Abu Dhabi’s aerospace capabilities and has identified manufacturing composite structural components as a niche sector in which it
can compete. Alenia Aeronautica was contracted to provide technical support and training, and it is also due to transfer some of its own composite aerostructures work to the new Strata factory, where full manufacturing capability is expected to begin in 2011. The work will include manufacturing flap track fairings, ailerons, spoilers and vertical and horizontal stabilizers for the Avions de Transport Regional family of twin turboprops in which Alenia is a 50- percent partner with EADS.
