Airbus and Boeing Aim to Accelerate Composite Airframe Manufacturing | Aviation International News

Airbus and Boeing Aim to Accelerate Composite Manufacturing

The aerospace groups are investing in alternatives to current autoclave technology

Airbus composite wing manufacturing — Wing top covers curing in autoclaves at Airbus' facility in Illescas, Spain.

By Howard Hardee • Leeham News and Analysis Editor

August 7, 2026

The commercial aerospace sector could be roughly a decade away from achieving high-rate production of major composite aerostructures. Airbus and Boeing are exploring how to produce larger composite structures without curing them in autoclaves. Current infrastructure is time-intensive and expensive to operate, limiting today's aircraft production rates and presenting complex challenges for the future of airliner manufacturing.

The airframer duopoly is interested in out-of-autoclave production processes because the next generation of single-aisle jets could be produced at rates of more than 100 aircraft per month. If the wings or fuselages of those aircraft are made mostly with composite materials, the companies would need massive autoclave capacity to support adequate production rates. Both companies are researching how to work around that constraint.

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