Story ID: 028 GPairbusaerostructures04212021
Airbus To Reorganize Aerostructures Activities 
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: An exercise that will see the company's aerostructures work reorganized in France and Germany remains subject to union negotiations.
Word Count: 324
Airbus has launched a plan to reorganize and consolidate aerostructures activities in France and Germany, the European airframe maker said on Wednesday.

Under the plan, a new company in France would combine the activities now managed within Airbus in Saint Nazaire and Nantes with those of its Stelia Aerospace subsidiary. In Germany, the exercise would combine the activities at Stade and structure assembly in Hamburg with those of Premium Aerotec in Nordenham, Bremen, and partly in Augsburg. Airbus also said it would engage in “rebalancing activities” toward the upper part of its value chain and review its involvement in the manufacturing of detail parts. That exercise would involve folding some of Premium Aerotec’s activities into what Airbus calls a new global player in the detail parts business.  

The two new aerostructures assembly companies, both wholly owned by Airbus, would no longer serve as suppliers and would instead become integrated within the parent company, simplifying both governance and interfaces in a new industrial framework. “Their distinct status would also enable them to focus on their industry segment and be leaner and more agile, fostering competitiveness, innovation, and quality to the benefit of the Airbus programs of today and tomorrow,” said Airbus in a statement. 

The company provided details about its ongoing assessment of its industrial arrangements in Europe—most notably its aerostructures activities—to union leadership during a European Works Council meeting, it reported.

“Airbus has reaffirmed its intention to build a stronger aerostructures assembly value chain across its industrial system to its social partners, and considers aerostructures assembly as core to its business,” said the company. “Airbus presented its plans to create two integrated aerostructures assembly companies at the heart of its industrial system in order to reinforce its value stream management and prepare the company for its short- and long-term future.”

The company plans to complete the restructuring by January 1, 2022.