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28.09.2015

Premium AEROTEC delivers its biggest ever CFRP component

Premium AEROTEC has handed over the rear side shells for the first A350-1000 to Airbus at its Augsburg site. Each of the two side shells is over 17 metres in length and almost 5.5 metres wide. This makes them the largest aircraft components to be manufactured in CFRP in Europe. Together with the floor structure and the CFRP pressure bulkhead, which are both developed and produced in Augsburg, this will be assembled by Airbus in Hamburg to create the complete rear fuselage section of the first A350-1000.

This plane with the serial number MSN59 is a test machine for the longest version of Airbus' latest long haul aircraft. It was only in mid-September that Premium AEROTEC delivered the complete front fuselage section from its Nordenham site.

“Just two weeks after handing over the front fuselage section to our customer in Nordenham, today we are celebrating hand-over of the first two rear side shells, yet another milestone in the A350 programme. That makes us confident that we can successfully master industrial ramp up for this programme, which is so important for us,” said Joachim Nägele, Programme Head for Premium AEROTEC, during a low key hand-over ceremony in front of 250 Premium AEROTEC staff and representatives from the customer, whom he thanked for the successful collaboration.

Matthias Spengler, Head of A350-Production for Premium AEROTEC, emphasised the great work done by his team. “It is fascinating to work with a fabulous team towards success in this most modern and ambitious aircraft programme in the world. I would like to thank you for your commitment, your excellent work and for completing manufacture of this demanding component on time. We will now continue in this way with increasing production rates.”

Daniel Wenninger, Programme Head for the front and rear fuselage of the A350-1000 at Airbus, emphasised the prompt delivery and the high quality of the shells. “The team at Premium AEROTEC has managed to deliver the side shells for the -1000, which are over three metres longer than those of the sister model, the -900, punctually and in the desired high quality. The result is impressive and proof of the excellent collaboration with our partner.”

With the A350 XWB, Airbus is producing an aircraft which is mainly manufactured from CFRP for the first time. Premium AEROTEC is one of the biggest suppliers for large aircraft components made from this material. While the -900 version, which is almost 67 metres in length, was delivered at the end of last year, Premium AEROTEC began work on production of the -1000 sister model, which is around seven metres longer, in October 2014. Delivery of this model of aircraft to the first customers is scheduled for 2017.

Premium AEROTEC is manufacturing the side shells of the rear fuselage (section 16/18) and the pressure bulkhead at its Augsburg site. This site is also producing the individual components of the CFRP door frame, which will be assembled at the Varel site. In Nordenham the company is manufacturing the complete front fuselage section 13/14 and the floor structure of section 16/18.


Premium AEROTEC generated revenues of around 1.9 billion euros in 2014. The company’s core business lies in the development and production of metal and carbon fibre composite aircraft structures. The company has manufacturing sites in Augsburg, Bremen, Nordenham and Varel in Germany, as well as in Braşov in Romania.