Astana, 08 February 2008
EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kazakh titanium supplier UKTMP and Aubert & Duval (A&D), a major supplier of metal-based aircraft components on Friday. The MoU covers the supply of titanium to Airbus and other Divisions of EADS. It is potentially worth in excess of one billion US dollars. The agreement was signed in Astana on the occasion of the offical visit of the French Prime Minister François Fillon.
The supply partners are to set up a joint venture, UKAD, for the purposes of transforming the titanium ingots delivered by UKTMP and improving the vertical integration of the titanium supply chain to EADS and Airbus. This approach will contribute to securing stable prices and quantities from the raw material supply to the manufacture of the semi-finished or finished product.
Titanium is a light and very strong raw material used in the aerospace industry. On aircraft, it is used in particular for landing gear systems, pylons and structural parts of the fuselage and wings.
The MoU is part of EADS’ and Airbus' global titanium strategy to secure the supply of such an important raw material.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, develops the A400M military transport aircraft, and holds a stake in the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems.
Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive family of airliners on the market, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Airbus has delivered more than 5,000 aircraft to some 285 customers worldwide and boasts a healthy backlog of around 3,400 aircraft for delivery over the coming years. Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China, Japan and in the Middle East. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.
UKTMP, the sole fully integrated titanium producer in the world, from mining through to titanium sponge and semi-finished titanium products, is a leading certified supplier of titanium raw material to the aerospace industry worldwide.
A member of the metallurgical and mining group ERAMET, Aubert & Duval (A&D) is a designer and manufacturer of sophisticated metallurgical products (long products and parts) and a major worldwide supplier to the most demanding industries (aeronautics, power generation, etc.). A&D melts and hot transforms by forging, closed-die forging and rolling special steels, super alloys and aluminium / titanium alloys.
EADS Corporate Media Relations:
| Pierre Bayle |
Tel.: + 33 142 24 20 63 |
| Gregor v. Kursell |
Tel.: + 49 89 607 34 255 |
