Airbus awards aircraft cargo doors contract to Tata Advanced Systems Ltd.

● New contract expands Airbus’ ‘Make-in-India’ activities in India

● Airbus overall procures components and services worth $735 million/yr from India

HYDERABAD: Airbus has awarded a contract to Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) to manufacture cargo and bulk cargo doors of the A320neo aircraft family. The contract is a significant step towards increasing Airbus' competitiveness in the single-aisle aircraft market and supporting the ramp-up of the A320 programme.

TASL will produce these doors at a new facility in Hyderabad using cutting-edge robotics and automation technology. Each shipset will include two cargo doors and one bulk cargo door. The contract was signed by Olivier Cauquil, SVP Aerostructure Procurement, Airbus, and Masood Hussainy, VP & HO Aerostructure & Aero-Engines, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., here on Wednesday (March 29, 2023).

"When it comes to supporting the development of India’s industrial capacities, Airbus is walking the talk. The latest contract underlines our continued commitment to ‘Make-in-India’ for an AatmaNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India),” said Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia.

“In TASL, we have a most trusted and able partner that will support the ramp-up of our A320neo family aircraft that has been the poster child of democratisation and transformation of India's aviation sector. We will continue to grow our industrial footprint and the aviation and aerospace ecosystem at a fast pace in India.”

Sukaran Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. said, “We have an ongoing relationship with Airbus based on trust and operational excellence, and this new contract win will further bolster our partnership in aerospace manufacturing in India.”

Airbus presently procures components and services worth $735 million every year from more than 100 Indian suppliers. Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft and every Airbus helicopter has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India.

In addition, Airbus will build the C295 military aircraft Final Assembly Line (FAL) with TASL in Gujarat, the first concrete, large-scale Make-in-India manufacturing aerospace programme in the private sector. The programme will unlock the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the value chain, fully addressing the Government of India’s stated ambition of an ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) in defence manufacturing.

Together with supply chain, Airbus supports nearly 10,000 jobs in India. By 2025, this number should rise to about 15,000. On top of this, the C295 military aircraft programme will lead to the creation of 25,000 direct and indirect jobs over 10 years.