GE, Mahindra Aerospace to collaborate on manufacturing for aerostructures

Mumbai: GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric, and Mahindra Aerospace Pvt. Ltd on Wednesday signed an agreement to start building parts of single aisle planes, following approval from plane maker Airbus SAS.

Mahindra Aerospace, controlled by Mahindra Group, specializes in development of aircraft and airplane components. The company designs and manufactures utility aircraft and provides comprehensive aerostructures.

On 15 June, Mahindra Aerospace secured a large multi-year aero-component production contract from Germany-based Premium AEROTEC, a subsidiary of Airbus Group.

Under this contract, Mahindra Aerospace will manufacture and supply metallic components to be used in several Airbus aircraft programmes as part of assemblies made by Premium AEROTEC.

In 2014, GE Aerospace’s unit and Mahindra Aerospace had signed an agreement to explore joint manufacturing opportunities.

“The initial MoU enabled both companies to work together on potential opportunities in manufacture of aerostructures. This new agreement will see them collaborate to produce small, metallic complex structural sheet details and assemblies within Mahindra’s new aerospace facility in Bangalore,” GE Aerospace said in a statement on Wednesday.

Stefanie Darlington, executive sourcing leader for GE Aviation’s composites value stream said the establishment of this agreement marks a key step in the development of a long-term relationship to support existing and potential new opportunities by adding Mahindra to international supply chain, with first hardware due in 2015.

“This agreement takes GE and us to the next stage in our efforts to create value for aerospace OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and tier 1 worldwide. We are confident that this relationship will flourish and grow significantly in the years to follow,” said S.P. Shukla, group president and chief executive officer, Mahindra Aerospace and Defence Sector and member, group executive board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Mahindra Aerospace’s single-engine utility aircraft business, based in Australia, currently produces the Airvan 8. Certified in 38 countries, over 200 are in service. It is also developing a 10-seat turboprop aircraft, Airvan 10, which is scheduled for certification in 2015.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.