The first two contracts following the November 2008 master-supply agreement between EADS and Mubadala Dev
Mubadala Breaks Ground on Airbus Deal
The first two contracts following the November 2008 master-supply agreement between EADS and Mubadala Development Co. have been finalized. They will see Mubadala’s new Strata facility in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, producing composite aileron panels and assembling A330/A340 aileron shipsets beginning in 2011. Strata will become the global sole-source supplier for the aileron components. The 2008 agreement is expected to generate in excess of $1 billion in revenue for Mubadala Aerospace over 10 years, according to Airbus and Mubadala. “[The agreement] has been fundamental to developing several components of our aerospace strategy,” said Homaid Al Shemmari, associate director of Mubadala Aerospace. Mubadala has been tasked by Abu Dhabi’s rulers with establishing the emirate as a global aerospace hub.
Air Arabia Opts for Honeywell APUs
Air Arabia has selected Honeywell Aerospace’s 131-9A auxiliary power unit for its fleet of new Airbus A320s. The Dubai-based low cost carrier signed a deal yesterday valued at up to $36 million and covering all new A320s that it will acquire through 2016. The operator has also chosen to retrofit the 131-9A units to its existing A320 fleet, replacing the APU originally supplied with these aircraft. “By selecting the 131-9A, Air Arabia will reduce on-aircraft maintenance by an estimated 36 percent, a significant reduction in cost of operation,” said Paolo Carmassi (at left in photo), Honeywell Aerospace president for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. The new APU will also deliver a 5-percent reduction in fuel burn.
